


The Negaverse and Everything Else

by Eleanorose123



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Child Neglect, Found Family, Friendly Four, Gen, M/M, Negaverse, cartoon violence, heck darkwing cant even figure it out lol, the ot4 dynamic isnt super prominent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 01:30:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20331817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleanorose123/pseuds/Eleanorose123
Summary: When Darkwing finds himself in the Negaverse, where his greatest enemy reigns supreme, can he help the Friendly Four reclaim their own St Canard and save two familiar children in the process?An alternate take on the Friendly Four group through a recreation of the "Life, the Negaverse, and Everything" episode!





	1. Greetings, Darkwing Duck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkwing Duck finds himself in the Negaverse with familiar faces...but not familiar people!

“I think he’s waking up.”

“Are you sure? He got zapped pretty bad.”

“I said I was sorry! How was I supposed to know it was Darkwing, not Negaduck!”

Darkwing shifted in his chair, slowly regaining consciousness but perking up at the sound of his name. Blinking a few times, he could see shadowy figures stop what they were doing and stare at him. Even in a haze, he was a bit put off by their intense gaze.

“Yes…I am the terror that flaps in the night…” he drawled, giving a mock salute to his signature phrase.

Shaking his head, Darkwing realized he was in a warehouse and immediately assumed he’d been captured. Last he recalled, he was about to become a Darkwing burger by the Muddlefoots…a strange occurrence from his usually harmless neighbors. Looking down, he realized that he wasn’t tied up to his chair like he normally would be in these situations, hopefully implying that whatever happened to him wasn’t an _actual_ kidnapping. He didn’t think he could handle another attack on his life so soon.

“Greetings, Darkwing Duck!” A voice spoke out from the shadows. It had a… _familiar_ tone to it. His brain becoming less scrambled, Darkwing paled at the connection and realized exactly why he felt a faint electric charge dance through his body. “Fear not, you’re safe now!”

“You’re the only one who’s going to be in fear, Megavolt!” The hero jumped from his chair into a fighting stance. “If you think I’ll let you get away with…whatever it is you’re up to, you’ve got another thing coming!”

The group of shadows seemed to jump a bit from the outburst and turned to one another. The shortest one of the group came forward into the light, and Darkwing smirked. Yup, there was no mistaking it; that’s Megavolt, the electrical terror of St Canard! Darkwing fought him for so many years, there was no way he could forget the rat’s face. Even if he tried to disguise himself in a different costume, the masked vigilante knew the truth.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d know my name!” Megavolt laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I guess my reputation precedes me.”

“What are you on about?” The duck raised a brow, but stayed ready for any surprises coming his way. If his hunch was right, the rest of the shadowy figures weren’t people he’d want sneaking up on him. “Of course I’d know your name, Sparky!”

Now he _knew_ something was up. Darkwing was prepared for his arch foe to go into a rage over his hated nickname like he typically did, but he was far from prepared to see Megavolt’s whiskers twitch and spark up as his face flushed red. Was he actually…_embarrassed?_

“Hey, only _we_ get to call him that!” Another familiar voice rang out. A duck with an oversized hoodie and baseball cap came forward and ruffled Megavolt’s hair. “I don’t care if he _is_ Darkwing or not, he better not be flirting with you.”

“Flirting with-?” Darkwing gaped and shuddered at the idea. It’d be a cold dark day before he’d try to make a pass at Megavolt, that’s for sure. Eyes widening at the fact he knew who was _actually_ dating the crazed villain, Darkwing noticed the other duck’s prominent overbite and put two and two together. “Wait, _Quackerjack?_”

“…huh. Maybe he _has_ seen us before.” Quackerjack seemed way more relaxed than usual. It was weird enough seeing him outside of his jester clothes, but it was another not to hear the villain’s usual cackling and trademarked smile. “What do you guys think?”

“Hard to say,” Darkwing jumped at the sight of a moving puddle of slime approaching the others. No wait…not slime, just very murky water that shifted into the form of the Liquidator. Odd; he usually prided himself on being crystal clean liquid. “Maybe Tank’s theory was right and he knows the other us-es. T-The other versions of ourselves I mean…”

“Oh _please._” Finishing the set of four, Darkwing watched as Bushroot came into his line of sight. He’d…certainly grew his petals out, the purple foliage framed the sides of his dark green face in a wild manner. “Don’t tell me you actually _believe_ all that Negaverse nonsense.”

“Well, it’s hard to argue with the facts, Reggie!” Liquidator gestured to Darkwing, who was still processing the confusing situation he found himself in. “That _is_ Darkwing Duck!”

“Could just be a bad Negaduck costume.” Bushroot shot a glare that made Darkwing’s feathers stand on end. Since when could he glare like that! “It could be a trap.”

“A trap? Of course!” Darkwing snapped his fingers and pulled out his gas gun. The four stiffened at the sight of the weapon, Megavolt quickly raising his arms to try and shield his comrades from the threat. “You guys are working with Negaduck! That’s why you captured me and brought me here!”

“Are you insane!” Quackerjack exclaimed, and Darkwing inwardly laughed at the ironic statement. “We don’t work for Negaduck, we’re _against_ Negaduck!”

“Not to mention, we didn’t capture you, we rescued you!” Liquidator jumped when Darkwing looked right at him, the canine moving to hide behind Bushroot. “Y-you just got a little zapped from Megavolt in the process is all.”

“I said I was sorry, didn’t I!” The rodent paused and looked over to Quackerjack. “…I did say that, right?”

“Yeah, we don’t really blame you for being a livewire, Sparky.” The duck winked, and Megavolt’s cheeks lit up again at the nickname.

“Oh yeah, _sure._” Darkwing rolled his eyes. “Like I’d ever believe you lot would go and rescue me.”

“Of course we rescued you!” Megavolt exclaimed and stood proudly as he gestured to the group. “We’re the Friendly Four! Proud defenders of St Canard!”

“And also the only defenders.” Quackerjack added, laughing a bit from the side eye he got from Megavolt. “The only defenders with a group name, that’s for sure.”

Darkwing tried very hard to process everything he was hearing. Everything he’s seen since he was thrown into that cake, the people he met, what Tank was saying about this universe being opposite to his own…the more the hero thought about it the more one thing ran clear. This whole alternate universe thing was giving him a splitting headache.

“Okay. Now I get it.” Darkwing lowered and pocketed his gun as he nodded, far calmer than he was a few moments ago. “This is just a bad dream. Brought on by too many of Herb’s coconut burgers.”

“…coconut what?” Liquidator gave Bushroot a puzzled look to which his comrade shrugged.

“All I have to do is just wake myself up and I’ll be home sweet home!” With a laugh, Darkwing propped himself up to a wall and promptly began hitting his head against the metal. The Friendly Four grimaced at the sight.

“Our hero.” Bushroot commented, rolling his eyes at the dramatic display. It didn’t take too long for Darkwing to cease his useless endeavors, and cradle at his skull.

“O-Okay, it’s not a dream!” Darkwing concluded, the pain in his head fading with his realization. “This…_is_ the Negaverse!”

“_Your _Negaverse.” Liquidator added. “For us this is just our universe.”

“Yours mine, haha, whatever!” The hero laughed, unsettling the group as he walked past them. “Doesn’t mean I have to stick around though.”

“Wait, no! Don’t go!” Megavolt called out desperately, jumping forward to block Darkwing’s path. “Please we-“

“Nope, sorry, Megsy or whatever you go by here.” Pushing Megavolt out of the way, Darkwing proceeded to make his way to the exit of the building. Feeling something wrap around his middle, he was prompted stopped as one of Bushroot’s vine arms lifted him up in the air.

“You’re the only one who’s ever defeated Negaduck, and we’re asking for your help!” Bushroot hissed and squeezed his grip on the duck. “And you’re just going to _leave?_”

“Reggie, come on-” Megavolt put a hand on his friend’s shoulder that was quickly shrugged off.

“No! I don’t care! I’m not letting this jerk leave us defenseless!” Shaking Darkwing around, Bushroot growled. “He’s supposed to help people isn’t he? H-he’s a hero, he-“

Bushroot felt his anger slowly leave his body as he looked at the pained expression Megavolt gave him. Feeling a hand on his back, he glanced to his other side and saw Quackerjack and Liquidator giving him similar sad looks. The plant duck bit at his beak, before putting Darkwing back on the ground, a little too roughly for the hero’s liking.

“Yeah well, thanks but no thanks!” Darkwing gave a quick glance back to the saddened group before continuing his exit as he explained. “I’ve got to get back to my own universe! My own city, my own life my own…Gosalyn.”

He froze in place as he looked at the small girl in pink standing in front of him. It really was hard to look at the child and not see his own daughter in her. Well, it did make sense logically. Still, Darkwing felt a twang of guilt go through him as he watched her force a fake smile.

“She’s probably worried about you!” She spoke cheerfully, her red curls dancing as she moved. She did a great job masking her sorrow…a fact that made Darkwing’s blood go cold. “You shouldn’t keep her waiting!”

Not waiting for an answer, Gosalyn quickly rushed forward and gave him a firm, loving hug. She buried her face into his purple coat, hiding herself away from his gaze. Darkwing patted her head like he did whenever she- whenever _his_ Gosalyn was upset, and looked over to the four slowly approaching them.

“Uh…who’s kid…is this?”

A tense silence passed over the room. Darkwing tried to catch the eye of the others, but they seemed to all look away. It was clear on their faces that they felt guilty about something, but when Bushroot spoke up with venom in his voice, Darkwing understood why.

“Gosalyn’s guardian is _Negaduck._”

As he felt his heart drop at the thought, Gosalyn’s grip around him tightened at the sound of the villain’s name. Darkwing looked at her…_really_ looked at this small, precious girl and a dozen sickening thoughts washed over him all at once. His house, or rather Negaduck’s house was no place for a child to be raised in. Launchpad was far from being the trustworthy parental figure he usually was, and to be raised by _Negaduck_…

“I-in the Negaverse, there’s never been a Darkwing Duck to guard the city…” Darkwing realized and swallowed hard, his emotions running high from all this. “…or a Drake Mallard to be a father…”

Gosalyn looked up at him, still smiling but he knew there was more to tell behind those familiar green eyes. He brushed away some of her hair from her face, and could’ve cried from how hesitant she was to lean into his hand.

“She’s lucky to have you.” She whispered, and Darkwing felt his heart shatter right there. He held onto her tighter, his decision made.

“For you, Gosalyn…I’ll stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the writer that types in the night! I am the fan who adores bringing out the most out of one-shot characters! I am...back again with another Darkwing Duck fanfiction!!!
> 
> Hey again! Followers of my Duckverse blog on tumblr will know this fic has been a long time coming, but now it's being posted! For those who don't know, I've been quite taken to reimagining the Friendly Four (the Negaverse counterparts to the Fearsome Four) since the original canon left them appearing and behaving very similar to their Primeverse counterparts. There's a number of stories I'd love to share, but I figured rewriting the source material would be the best way to start! 
> 
> Unlike "Lost and Found", this fic isn't finished yet and will be updated as more is written, so stay tuned for more! Darkwing is going to learn just how different the four are in the Negaverse real soon.


	2. Similar Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkwing converses with the Friendly Four's leader about how Gosalyn and Tank got roped into all this chaos.

The next course of action was obvious; they needed a plan. Darkwing’s numerous victories over Negaduck meant nothing in this world, he didn’t know the turf and he barely knew the people. Normally he’d be puffing up with pride over the fact he was everyone’s last hope in their darkest hours, but even Darkwing would admit that fighting Negaduck with his home court advantage was going to be a challenge.

Gosalyn and Tank had to leave the warehouse to return to their respective families. Neither really wanted to, and Darkwing protested loudly at the idea, but Tank raised the good point that their continued efforts to misdirect Negaduck and his cronies were one of the only defenses they had going for the team. Not to mention the children would be missed, if their guardians even noticed they were gone at all.

“How two kids like that ended up stuck with families like theirs must be some sort of cruel cosmic joke.” Darkwing said, watching as the children ran off. He turned to Megavolt. “So, how’d you lot meet them?”

“Gos and Tank? They’ve been helping us for months now.” Megavolt sat down on a crate and gestured to Darkwing to do the same. The masked mallard obliged, but kept his distance, still a bit on edge from being around his usual foe. “Gosalyn followed that goon Launchpad on one of Negaduck’s attacks on city hall. It was just me and Quackie at the time, and we got beaten pretty badly. Not one of our best plans.”

“Have you ever had _good_ plans?” Darkwing shook his head. “Sorry. I think being around you makes my bantering side come out, hehe. Go on.”

“Well, by the time we came to, Gosalyn was wrapping up our wounds with a first aid kit. She told us who she was, and who she lived with, and for a moment, I thought we were toast.” The rat scratched at his arm absentmindedly, glancing across the room to where the rest of his team were coming up with ideas for their next plan. “But then she just lit up and started gushing about how brave we were to even try and stop Launchpad. And how she wished she could do the same.”

Darkwing laughed, easily picturing the scene. “If there’s one thing Gosalyn has, no matter the universe it’s definitely-“

“Spirit.” Megavolt smiled. “If Negaduck knew how much spirit she’s got, he’d think twice before messing with her.”

The amount of care in that statement took Darkwing aback a bit. Memories of protecting his own daughter from Taurus Bulba came flooding back to him, back to the first time he tucked his little girl blue into bed. This was the Negaverse, so everything was opposite…but it still astounded him how some things managed to stay the same. Albeit in different situations.

“You better not be telling me you roped her into being a part of your little team.” Darkwing shot him a look. “Information is one thing, but if you lot have been training her to _fight_ Negaduck…”

“Never! We’d never do something like that, for her or for Tank!” Megavolt sparked up a bit at the accusation, but took a breath and calmed down. He clearly had better control of his emotions than his counterpart did, that’s for sure. “Besides, neither of them want to fight anyway. They want Negaduck stopped, sure, but the people they want behind bars are the people who’ve _raised_ them, and gave them homes. Could you go and fight, and I mean _really _fight against _your _folks?”

“…fair point.” Darkwing leaned back from his spot and took a good look at Megavolt. “You know, you’re not so bad. I can see why she trusts you.”

“I can say the same for you.” Hoping off of the crate, Megavolt offered a hand to his new ally. “You may look like him, but you’re definitely no Negaduck.”

Smirking, Darkwing held back the urge to say the same for his company. He took the hand offered to him and got up, adjusting his hat absent mindedly. The two began walking over to the rest of the Friendly Four.

“Say, how come you can remember things so well?” Darkwing remarked. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to remind my Megavolt who he even was.”

“Aw well, I still screw up every now and then. My brain _did_ get fried when I got my powers after all.” He chuckled awkwardly, the scars on his arm heating up at the memory. “But you know, my friends help me remember the little things, and I keep the memories that really matter close to me so I can’t forget them.”

“Sounds like you have quite a team, Megsy.”

“Trust me; if I didn’t have these three, I probably would’ve gone insane a long time ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter update, but bonds have begun to be formed! Nega-Megavolt certainly has a few familiar qualities to him, hmmm? How will that play into everything I wonder?
> 
> More to come of Darkwing learning about the Friendly Four's members!


	3. To Be Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkwing struggles to train Liquidator, who isn't too thrilled about the idea of using violence on their foes.

“What’da mean you don’t _fight?_”

Darkwing pulled at his face when Liquidator gave him an apologetic smile and shrug in response. He’s supposed to be helping these four take on Negaduck, and one of them refuses to even _fight?_ It’s bad enough seeing the guy be so timid, but this was just testing Darkwing’s limits at this point.

“Well, I don’t like violence, or harming other life. I-I’ve always been like this, even before I was…uh…_this._” Liquidator held up his hands to gesture to his liquid body. “I normally do protection and rescue roles in our missions.”

“Uh huh, and how many of those missions actually worked out for you guys?” The canine hung his head in shame. “That’s what I figured. Look, it’s great that you don’t want to hurt people! That’s like, one of the prime staples of being a hero after all! But if a situation demands it, buddy, you’ve _gotta_ be ready to fight back with all you’ve got.”

“I-I know, but I just-! It’s all so-!” Liquidator was at a loss of words trying to explain himself. He glanced at the punching bag beside him and placed a hand on it gently. “…I’m not used to fighting back is all.”

The masked mallard tapped at his beak in thought. It wasn’t like he wanted to change the peace lover into a weapon of mass destruction or anything, but Darkwing knew firsthand how versatile and powerful Liquidator’s powers could be if trained and practiced. Having _this_ Liquidator be ready to use those abilities at a moment’s notice would be a _huge_ asset for the Friendly Four. He raised a brow as an idea formed in his head.

“Say, Likky, can I call you Likky?”

“Sure!” Liquidator finally smiled genuinely. “I think it’s a cute nickname. Although, Quackerjack tends to call me that when he needs something.”

“Right, right, you four are pretty close.” A fact that made Darkwing a little curious about his own Fearsome Four, but pushed the thought aside in favor of focusing at the task at hand. “Likky, do you have any loved ones in your life? People you care about more than anything?”

“Gosh, um…” If it was possible for murky water to blush, there was no doubt that that was what was happening to Liquidator. He averted his eyes from Darkwing and his gaze wandered over to his teammates. Bushroot seemed to be experimenting with some chemicals while the other two watched. It clearly didn’t go well as it blew up in his face, causing Quackerjack and Megavolt to laugh at their friend covered in soot. Liquidator found himself smiling brightly as he watched Bushroot eventually join in on the laughter. “…Yes. I do.”

“Picture them hurt.”

Liquidator’s heart dropped and he quickly turned to see Darkwing’s stern expression. “W-what?”

“Imagine someone hurt your loved ones, intentionally and without mercy. That person could easily take away the people you care about for _good_; would you fight them then?” Staring at Liquidator’s scared face, Darkwing’s glare softened. “When you really love someone, you’d do anything to protect them. I know that first hand. And while it’s not always easy, sometimes protecting others involves hurting the bad guys. Liquidator, you gotta protect the ones that are worth protecting, and if you have to fight to do it? Well, I know I’d want you to be _ready_ for that. And I think your teammates would want the same.”

Darkwing’s words did reach Liquidator, but his mind was still thinking about the mental images from earlier. The idea that his beloved teammates would be in life threatening peril and he wouldn’t be able to stop it. His fist shook at the visions appearing in his head of the rest of his team battered and bruised as a familiar haunting laugh cackled in his mind. By the time he pictured a chainsaw enter the scene, Liquidator threw his fist against the punching bag, knocking it clear off its chain and crashing into a wall.

It was an understatement to say the action didn’t cause everyone else in the building to stare in shock and surprise. Liquidator, still in his distraught mental state was snapped back to reality at the sound of applause behind him. Turning, he saw the rest of the Friendly Four approaching him.

“Wow, Bud, that’s amazing! How’d you do that!” Megavolt spoke brightly, and attempted to give his friend a hug before being pulled back by Quackerjack.

“Megsy, the last thing we need is both of you out of commission cause you forgot about how electricity and water work.” Quackerjack laughed at the pout Megavolt made at the reminder. “But seriously, way to go! I didn’t think you were that strong!”

“I-I guess I never did either.” Liquidator laughed nervously, finally processing what he did. He looked at his fist. “I can’t really say I’ve ever tried something like that before…I didn’t think water could even _be_ violent.”

“Oh boy, can it ever. “ Darkwing chimed in, patting Liquidator’s back before wiping the residue off of on his cape. “In my universe, you’ve put the city in a world of chaos with your abilities more times than I can count. Flooding buildings, freezing pipes, heck! You even once turned the St Canard’s water supply into rubber!”

“…I’d ask why I’d do that, b-but I think I’d rather not know too much about my villainous counterpart.” The group laughed nervously in agreement. Darkwing couldn’t help but sympathize; he’d grown numb to seeing Negaduck but the experience of having an evil doppelganger at all would be weird to anyone. “Still…I’ll be sure to keep practicing…this could come in handy in our f-fights.”

Liquidator felt something wrap around his waist. Glancing beside him, he saw Bushroot looking at him with a half lid smile. “Looking forward to having you watch my back, Bud.”

Laughing, Liquidator ran his thumb over Bushroot’s face, wiping off some of the soot from earlier. “I can’t take you seriously when you look like a fireplace you know?”

“…shuddup.” Bushroot mumbled and blushed heavily at the reminder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not so subtly starting to throw in Ot4 moments now lol
> 
> Next updates might be a bit cause I've got weekend plans, but there's more to come! With all these changes, can Darkwing expect to understand Nega Bushroot and Nega Quackerjack's personalities next...?


	4. Similar but Different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's easy to picture the Negaverse and its inhabitants as opposites to their counterparts...but Darkwing learns it does have its draw backs.

Seeing Quackerjack work was fascinating, but it also made Darkwing’s skin crawl. The jester he’s used to would actively try and _destroy_ guys who worked with video games, and yet his counterpart thrived with his love for the mechanical entertainment. Even if he did slap the red and purple cowl on this duck’s head, Darkwing really couldn’t find a lick of resemblance between the two, aside from their prominent teeth.

“…you’re _positive_ this guy’s name is Quackerjack?” he asked Bushroot, who was leaning against a wall nearby as he watched his friend type away some sort of code on an old computer. “He’s not just someone claiming he’s the toymaker gone mad?”

“I can hear you, you know?” The guy in question sounded annoyed but didn’t look away from his monitor, his fingers frantically typing away. “Yes, I go by Quackerjack, no, I didn’t run a toy store.”

“The whole sanity factor depends on who you ask.” Bushroot smirked and dodged an empty soda can thrown at him. The plant pushed himself off from against the wall and gestured for Darkwing to follow him. “Come on; the mad genius hates being bothered when he’s coding.”

“You’ll thank me later! Go water your plant babies or something!” Quackerjack called out, giving a wave but still refusing to avert his gaze from the monitor.

“The whiners are fine, don’t give them any ideas!” Bushroot hissed. Darkwing couldn’t help but raise a brow at that.

“Not a fan of your green brethren are you?” Darkwing laughed at the thought. “What, do the mean ole trees pick on you?”

“Hardly. They’re just chatty…and _annoying_. I bet that’s what drove my Negaverse counterpart to crime…all the _noise_.” The mutant stopped near a potted daisy that seemed droopy. Growling at it menacingly, the flower shot upright. “Can’t say I blame him.”

“Actually, I think plants are one of the only things keeping Bushroot- well, _my_ Bushroot, sane.” The hero rubbed at his head, recalling the vivid tale on the plant villain’s origins and all the situations he’s been in since. “Heh, in fact, if he wasn’t bullied so bad at the university, I’m pretty sure he would’ve been a hero like you! That’s, that’s funny isn’t it? He’s a villain who could be a hero, and you’re a hero who…could…”

Darkwing’s mood dropped a bit at the thought. He really hoped that his universe and the Negaverse weren’t so black and white in terms of its opposites. After all, plenty of things were the same deep down! Gosalyn was still spirited in her own way, and sought out justice, so maybe the plant duck in front of him was just that; a good guy who stays good. But seeing Bushroot turn to him slowly with a grim look on his face made Darkwing just a little bit hesitant on the idea.

“…I want to be a hero.” Bushroot clarified, patting lightly at the daisy’s soil as a form of apology. “Dr Reginald Bushroot was a jerk who only looked out for himself, I know that now. But when I became…all of this, and I ran into Megavolt and Quackerjack all those years ago, I found out I could be more than that. That I had a choice to be better.”

“Jeez, with the way you guys gush about each other, it makes me think you’re _all_ dating!” Darkwing laughed loudly at the thought, and leaned against the other for support. “Could you-could you even imagine that?”

Darkwing was too busy laughing to notice the very forced and very fake smile Bushroot was making. “Yeah. That’d be something now wouldn’t it.”

Before Darkwing could say anything else to make the conversation more awkward, a faint but shrill noise approached them. Finally calming down from his laughter, the masked hero looked up to the noise only to be smacked in the face by a small flying machine. Buzzing around, an arm came out of the small drone and raised its hand to the camera lens at the front, mimicking laughter. Printing off a small piece of paper, the hand tore it off and passed it over to an amused Bushroot.

“What did the crude contraption say?” Darkwing asked, cradling a bruised beak.

“That Quackerjack got his latest toy working.” Turning the paper print around, Darkwing read an all too familiar phrase; _“It’s playtime!”_

“…alright, he’s definitely Quackerjack then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The introductions have finished! It's time to kick in the episode's chaos.


	5. Here and Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Friendly Four learn a disturbing piece of knowledge about Darkwing's universe, they need to hear some inspirational words.

“Alright boys, let’s assess our situation.” Darkwing instructed the four standing in front of him. He struck at a corkboard covered in paper and string with a pointer, focusing on an image of Negaduck who didn’t look happy to have his photo taken. “How much power does ole Negsy have over St Canard?”

“Right now he’s only got downtown, and the west side.” Megavolt paused. “Wait, he’s also got the parks, the bridges, all of the power plants and factories- shoot, did he get the east side last week…?“

“He’s got us all under his thumb basically.” Quackerjack interrupted, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Been like that for years now. The citizens are so numb to being ruled over that he gets more and more people on _his_ side and less on ours.”

“It’s a challenge saving people who don’t want to be saved…” Liquidator mumbled, recalling a few instances of people lashing out at him and his team for trying to disobey Negaduck’s order of the city.

“It’s a challenge getting people to acknowledge you’ve saved them too.” Darkwing added, rolling his eyes. Maybe the Negaverse had a better publicity crew and would actually celebrate their victory. He’d have to get the newspaper headlines as a souvenir from this crazy quest. “So he’s the head honcho, big whoop. I’ve brought him down from city conquest before and I’ll do it again.”

“Yeah, but you never had to deal with his lackies!” Walking over to the board, Megavolt pointed at a list of Negaduck’s accomplices. “Launchpad and the Muddlefoots act as enforcers around here, and even though we can stop them individually, when they attack as a team, they can be tough to fight back against.”

“Please,” The masked hero scoffed. “I don’t care if they are different from my partner and neighbors, those guys ain’t no Fearsome Four, pal. For one thing, they don’t have powers or whacked out noodles for brains and for another-“

“Wait, F-F-Fearsome Four? Who are they?” Darkwing froze and turned to a concerned Liquidator. Ah. He never really mentioned that sort of thing did he?

“No one!” he lied, suddenly all too aware of the eyes staring at him intently. He tugged at his collar, suddenly feeling like the room just got hotter. “They’re just a group of guys who work under Negaduck’s foot in my world is all, you wouldn’t know them, no relation to the Friendly Four or anything, no sirie.”

Darkwing’s forced smile did nothing to alieve the situation, judging by all the grim faces. Quackerjack in particular raised a brow when he made eye contact with Darkwing, and pieced two and two together. “We work for Negaduck in your universe, don’t we?”

There was really nothing left to do but nod weakly, resulting in the Friendly Four groaning in unison.

“You mean when he’s done kicking our butts here, that jerk has the gall to go be buddy buddy with our doppelgangers!” Bushroot exclaimed, feeling his anger boiling up at the thought. He gave a swift kick to a nearby crate that ultimately made his plant body shake in recoil, but it helped release the aggression for now.

“No wonder he’s been beating us faster…” Megavolt realized, looking at the corkboard and the various written accounts they had made of their battles with Negaduck. Many of which were failures due to their super power weaknesses being exploited somehow. “If he’s working with us, even if they’re not _really_ us, he knows all our weak points…”

“Oh, it’s hopeless!” Darkwing’s growing dread tripled at Liquidator’s remark. The water canine had his head in his hands, seemingly trying to hide himself away out of fright. “We can never win, he’ll always be on top of us in the end!”

“Way to be a vote of confidence, Bud!” Bushroot snapped. “You wanna state any more obvious facts while you’re at it?”

“Back off Reggie, you’re not helping out much either.” Quackerjack stepped in between the two mutants before things got too heated. He leaned in close to his teammate. “Don’t say things you’ll just end up regretting.”

“Tch, big talk for someone who stands idly by most of the time.”

Darkwing slunk backwards, pressing himself against the corkboard. Oh boy…this wasn’t how he wanted this to go at all. How did he usually command a team? Was the Justice Ducks like this? No wait, there wasn’t ever a clear leader with that group. Heck, they only assembled the one time and aside from Gizmoduck sending holiday cards, the five heroes haven’t spoken much since then. What about S.H.U.S.H.? He did training lessons then right? No, those ended in disasters-

As Darkwing mentally racked his brain to try and think up ways to be a great leader when the chips are down, he failed to notice Megavolt quietly grabbing a sheet off from the board and walking over to his team.

“Guys,” Megavolt’s presence seemed to immediately lighten the tense mood surrounding the three heroes. They still seemed on edge, but none of them looked ready to attack or cry like they were a second ago. “I’m as frustrated as you are, but we can’t give up now.”

“Megs, no offense, but I don’t think one of your hero pep talks is going to change much.” Side eyeing Bushroot, who crossed his arms and looked away in a huff, Quackerjack continued. “Negaduck’s just a step ahead of us.”

“Like usual…” Liquidator added sadly. He seemed to stare at his hands, focused on the murky liquid as painful memories resurfaced themselves. “He knows all about us-”

“No, he knows all about _them_. The Fearsome Four aren’t us, not really anyway.” He held out the sheet of paper he grabbed earlier. “Do you guys remember this?”

Quackerjack and Liquidator leaned in, squinting at the blurry black and white image. Bushroot noticed their struggles and rolled his eyes, leaning over the two to get a look. “Isn’t this just us running away from Negaduck’s chainsaw?”

“Yup. It’s also the first wanted image of the Friendly Four.” Megavolt smiled proudly at that, fondly remembering the cherished memory. “The first time Negaduck ever recognized us as a threat to his tyranny.”

“The first time we worked as a team…” Liquidator perked up at that, turning to Quackerjack. “You were trying to stop Negaduck from launching a mind control video game to the public.”

“He was tarnishing my ex-company’s name! Not to mention the gameplay was flat out _boring_.” Sticking his tongue out, he gave a nudge to the plant next to him. “Remember how you accidentally tripped the fire alarm and short circuited all the games in the process?”

“Along with our dear leader, who we had to lug around like a sack of potatoes while we ran out of there.” Bushroot laughed a bit. “In case you forgot I said it, I _am_ sorry about that, Sparky.”

“I remember, don’t worry.” Megavolt turned the image around to look at it, the smile on his face slipping just a little bit. “…this is a memory _we_ made. Something the Friendly Four did in _this_ universe, and it changed lives. I know we don’t always win, heck we’re constantly on the brink of losing the war, but you know? We’re still winning in ways we don’t even realize.”

Looking up at his teammates, he continued. “There are people out there who believe in us. Gosalyn and Tank…every person in St Canard that knows Negaduck needs to be stopped, they all look to us as a symbol of strength. We’ve come this far because no matter how many times we’re knocked down, we get right back up again; so what’s different now?”

Darkwing really wanted to jump in on that remark, but used every ounce of his willpower to not throw himself center stage for this moment. He was immensely impressed with Megavolt’s leadership skills, he talked like he’d done this type of hopeful speech a hundred times before. Maybe he had. It would check out with their track record. Regardless, it seemed to do its trick as the rest of the Friendly Four started smiling at their leader.

“Not much clearly; you’re still as sappy as ever.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Bushroot seemed embarrassed. “Trying to find the best of things…how do you even manage that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The guy’s a walking lightbulb; he’s constantly lighting up everyone’s mood!” Quackerjack laughed loudly as he friends booed him for the joke, the sound making Darkwing shudder a bit from familiarity, despite the better circumstances. 

“If it’s hope that St Canard needs, t-then the Friendly Four will surely deliver!” Liquidator held out his arms and wrapped his friends into a hug. Quackerjack and Bushroot quickly kept between him and Megavolt to avoid any accidental short circuiting, but greatly appreciated the comforting gesture regardless.

“We’ve got this.” Megavolt stated firmly. “We can take Negaduck down once and for all!”

“And of course, let’s not forget,” Darkwing stated, finally getting the group’s attention. They seemed to jump away from one another a bit, clearly forgetting for a moment there was someone else with them. “Our big advantage is that Negaduck has no idea you guys have teamed up with Darkwing Duck!”

“…he will if you keep yelling out your name.” Bushroot snickered alongside Quackerjack. Darkwing had half a mind to tell them off and explaining how a good public presence is key for heroic duties, but he felt like he had already overstepped his boundaries enough for one day.

Suddenly, a shattering noise echoed through the warehouse. Darkwing spun around and saw the broken window in question, glass breaking off from the gaping hole something left. Walking over to examine it, he tripped.

“Who the wassat!” He spluttered as he fell, landing with a thud. Groaning from yet another injury, Darkwing turned his head to glare at the object in question, only to gasp and yell out to the others. “It’s a gas gun canister; everybody _down!_”

The Friendly Four could barely register what was happening before the canister erupted with a sickly red haze. The cloud of corrupt creation spread fast, and the building’s occupants covered their mouths as best they could. It seemed a hopeless endeavor, as before long they all began to cough and wheeze.

“It-it must be some sort of knockout gas, we gotta get out of here!” Megavolt pointed to the nearby exit and the group tried to make a run for it. Before they could reach their escape, more windows were smashed, bringing with the destruction more of the harmful gas.

Quackerjack was the first to fall to its knock out effect, falling forward in a heap. Bushroot and Liquidator quickly followed, the latter losing his form and splashing down into a puddle. Megavolt panicked from the predicament and tried hard to focus on getting a zap flowing through him to keep himself awake, but he lost his focus at the sound of the exit being kicked open and a figure looming in the doorway.

“Well well,” A cruel and familiar voice rang out, a mask over his face to keep him from inhaling. “Looks like our intel was right. It’s a dork convention of traitors and losers!”

Darkwing glared at his long time enemy, wanting nothing more than to fight back against Negaduck right here and now. His mind was getting fuzzy from the gas though, and the last thing he could see was Megavolt falling next to him. He grit his teeth as the gas’ effect washed over him completely.

“Well, so much for our big advantage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bulk of prologue is done now! We're getting more into the canon aspects of the episode, with the tower sequence up next. Hope you're enjoying the story thus far, cause there's plenty more to come!


	6. The Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkwing and the Friendly Four find themselves captured by Negaduck, and emotions are running high.

Waking up in a drowsy state seemed to be a common occurrence for Darkwing in the Negaverse. Blinking hard to focus on his surroundings, he could feel that his limbs were restrained with rope that scratched at his wrists and ankles. He felt uncomfortable in the position, and the displeasure only worsened at the sight of a red hat and crazed eyes looking right at him.

“Comfy?” Negaduck spoke in a demeaning manner, leaning over his prisoner like a predator teasing his prey. “I’d hate for you to be _uncomfortable_, being the good host that I am. You are in _my_ St Canard after all.”

“Yeah, some St Canard this is! Only _you_ could turn an entire city into a desolate, despising, dump heap!” Darkwing struggled against his bonds, trying to keep away from the other’s looming presence. He could feel and smell Negaduck’s breath on him, and it was _far_ from pleasant.

“Aw, you flatter me.” He flicked at Darkwing’s beak before finally putting some distance between them. Darkwing craned his neck, trying to keep an eye on his captor as he walked towards a window looking out at the tarnished city. “The Negaverse- _your _Negaverse, is my own personal playground. I’ve run this city my way for years, just the way I like it. But when S.H.U.S.H. scientists discovered a portal to _your_ dimension, a place where I’ve never even _existed_ before, well?” He turned to Darkwing, smiling wickedly. “That was just a vacation plan I couldn’t resist.”

“You expect me to believe S.H.U.S.H. just handed you the keys to dimension travel willingly? Ha! As if they’d ever affiliate themselves with your criminal ways.” Darkwing grimaced as he watched Negaduck stomp over to him again, with a wide smile and a look that spelt trouble.

“News flash, bozo! The S.H.U.S.H agents here aren’t the good guys; they’re on _my_ side! I’m one of their star agents!”

“B-but that’s-!” Darkwing stammered, eyes darting back and forth. “They aren’t-!”

“When will you get it through your thick skull! _Nothing’s_ the same here!” Negaduck slammed a fist next to Darkwing, who winced from the loud noise so close to his head. “S.H.U.S.H. is bad, F.O.W.L. is good. You get tacky neighbors, I get rough and tough rule enforcers! I’m in charge of the city and you’re nothing more than a loud-mouthed, ludicrous _loser_!”

The last word was yelled out at such a force that it echoed repeatedly through the tower, partnered only to Negaduck’s panting as he slowly calmed down from his rage. Darkwing felt bare and exposed; he really _was_ the underdog in this situation. Not knowing what was happening, or understanding everything that was going on…but that’s never stopped him before. With a determined stare at the villain, he made his statement.

“You’re wrong. Not everything has changed. There’s still good people fighting for what’s right, the city still has heroes looking out for it, and frankly, Negsy?” He smirked. “You’re still as much of a loser here as you are in my universe.”

“…really now?” Negaduck laughed lightly, an action he rarely ever did. It sent shivers down Darkwing’s spine. “If I’m really the loser you say I am, then why am I the one out here, free to do whatever I please, while you’re just as helpless and trapped as the geek patrol over there?”

Darkwing’s heart dropped, and dreaded what Negaduck was pointing towards. Turning his head to the other side, his fears proved to be reality at the sight of the Friendly Four locked up in a glass cylindrical case. Judging by their crest fallen expressions, the group had already been trying to escape before Darkwing had woken up.

“…ah.”

“Ah, indeed.” Negaduck nodded before walking towards the glass. His approach made the imprisoned group tense up, but their anger towards the malicious mallard was clear. “You really think this lot of knuckleheads can stop me? These idiots have been trying to best me for _years_, and look how well that’s going for them!”

“We can stop you, and we will!” Megavolt yelled and hit the glass hard. “You’re not turning Darkwing Duck into a pancake while we’re around!”

“Turn Darkwing into a what?” Darkwing exclaimed. Jerking his head around to see the room despite his restraints, he eventually caught sight of a large hammer positioned above him, and a pendulum swinging back and forth in momentum. Its blade grazed against a rope attached to the hammer each time it swung. Darkwing gulped loudly. “Y-you think I would’ve noticed that.”

“Oh, you just had to spoil the surprise, didn’t you, short spark!” Negaduck swung his fist against the glass chamber, just where Megavolt’s face was. The other didn’t flinch, and held a focused glare at his bitter enemy. “Can’t your tiny brain even think properly for two seconds?”

“Can _you_ go two seconds without acting like a child?” Bushroot snarled. “I’m sick of hearing you yap, Negadork.”

“Ha, you don’t know the half of it.” Darkwing rolled his eyes despite his predicament. “Villains can be so rambly.”

“You wound me, Mr. Terror-Who-Flaps-In-The-Night.” Negaduck made a mock pain experience, sticking his tongue out at his foe. “But rambling has its merits. After all, it was thanks to rambling that I was able to find you. You can thank your _biggest_ fan for that.”

Darkwing froze, and instantly feared the worst yet again. “What…?”

“Muddlefoots! Bring out the traitor!”

The sounds that followed after Negaduck’s order broke the heroes’ hearts. Entering the room were Herb and Binkie, dragging between them a struggling, sobbing Tank. He didn’t appear to be injured, but it was clear the grip his parents had on him was far from gentle.

“Here you go, Lord Negaduck!” Binkie spoke cheerfully as if she hadn’t sold out her eldest child to an evil tyrant. “Sorry again one of our boys turned out to be a bad apple…or, a good apple as the case may be.”

“He certainly didn’t get these rebellious heroic urges from us!” Herb yanked his arm up, lifting Tank off the ground in the process. “To be honest, Tankor here’s never been much of a Muddlefoot.”

“Please,” Negaduck shook his head, smiling as he approached the family. “No need to explain yourselves. Kids just can’t help being little spies bent on tearing down a perfect good system by blabbing plans to the _enemy!_”

He screamed the last part of his statement in Tank’s face, spitting at his glasses. Darkwing watched in absolute rage, tugging at his restraints more desperately than ever to intervene. A quick glance to the prison across the room informed him that the Friendly Four were in a similar situation, fruitlessly trying to break the glass and protect the child they’ve cared for all this time.

“Don’t you touch him!” Quackerjack yelled out, fists red from hitting against the walls. “It’s us you’re mad about, keep Tank out this, you-!”

“Ah ah ah, this is a family decision to make.” Binkie gave a small giggle before her face turned dark. “I’ll get my chance to destroy you lot _after_ Lord Negaduck decides what to do with Tankor here. He’s _very_ creative with his methods of dealing with traitors after all.”

“You’d really just be willing to let Tank suffer?” Darkwing thrashed against the table he was pinned to. “He’s your _son!_”

“We have a better one.” Herb noted with a shrug.

With a swift kick to his back, Tank was pushed out of his parents grasp and landed in front of Negaduck’s feet. Honker stood in the hallway, having been behind his brother the whole time, and marched forward. The small boy pressed his boot into Tank’s back.

“You’ve always been an embarrassment, but now you’ve really done it!” Honker cackled. “I _finally_ get to be an only child! This is the best birthday ever!”

“Honker…” Tank choked out, staring up at his little brother. “You can’t…”

“Ah zip it, loser! I hope you rot like the rest of those clowns!” Hopping off, Honker walked back over to his parents. They patted his head proudly, already adjusting to being a family of three. A fact that made Tank clench his eyes shut in acceptance.

“Poor little nerd, let’s put you out of your misery.” Roughly grabbing at the boy’s sweater, Negaduck lifted him up off of the ground. “You can join the heroes you love so much and watch Darkwing Duck die!”

Negaduck carried Tank over to where the Friendly Four were trapped, each of them stricken with worry, concern and anger all at once. The villain pulled out his own gas gun and pressed it against the child’s temple, in a silent warning that if the four tried anything, there’d be consequences. Bushroot and Megavolt, who were ready to strike the moment the glass opened, growled and held their hands up as a sign of obedience, not wanting any more harm to come to Tank.

In an instant, the glass shifted open with a push of a nearby button and Negaduck threw Tank into the prison, landing straight into Quackerjack’s open arms. He held onto the shell shocked child, who shakily turned to stare at his parents from across the room. Neither of them seemed to even acknowledge Tank anymore, which made his cling to Quackerjack’s hoodie all the tighter. 

“…scum.” With the glass closing again, Negaduck watched in mild interest as Liquidator shifted forward to tower over him. The water hero seemed to boil in fury. “Low life, heartless, villainous _scum!_”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Negaduck teased. “You lot enjoy the Darkwing Demise show! I’m off to create more unnecessary pain and suffering!”

“You won’t get away with this!” Darkwing shouted, and winced as the blade of the pendulum caught his eye. He…really needed a plan and fast.

“So long!” Negaduck called out as he and the Muddlefoots left the room, their respective evil laughs echoing as they did. Just as it fell silent, Negaduck poked his head out from the doorway. “Losers.”

With a slam of the door, the heroes were left alone. Darkwing lay flat on the table, eyes following the blade that signaled his imminent doom as he heard Tank’s sniffles. He knew he shouldn’t, but it had to be addressed… “Tank, what happened to you and Gosalyn?”

Tank pushed his glasses up to wipe at his eyes, trying to compose himself enough to speak. “W-we got caught sneaking back home…my brother-“ He froze and clenched his jaw. Quackerjack gently patted his hair in comfort. “Honker, was questioning us. He saw us leaving with the Friendly Four when you were rescued and accused Gosalyn of being their spy. “

The four in question looked at one another. They’d always been terrified of this outcome and now it’s happened, and it was their fault. Megavolt knelt down to Tank, speaking softly. “Then what happened?”

“…I couldn’t let her be caught. Not with Negaduck as her guardian.” Tank stared at the ground, the memories still fresh in his mind. Memories he knew would haunt him until the end of his days. “So…I took the fall for us both. Insisted she had nothing to do with it and handed myself over to my parents as a traitor. It was the only thing I could think of doing to protect her, but then they kept asking me questions about your whereabouts and-and...!” His tears came rushing back as he spoke brokenly. “I’m so _sorry!_”

“Oh, _Tank_…” Quackerjack held him tightly, wanting nothing more than to try and comfort the child in his dire situation. “It’s not your fault, hush, it’s alright…”

Megavolt looked on in silence, his hand reaching out but not touching the pair in front of him. Looking around he saw Liquidator shaking, desperately trying to keep himself together, to appear strong. He saw Bushroot leaning against the glass, keeping distant from it all but his quivering arms gave away his true emotions. By the time he turned to see Darkwing Duck, their one ray of hope still struggling and helpless to free himself, Megavolt spoke in a small voice.

“He’s right…Negaduck’s right…I _am_ a loser.”

This quiet statement spoke volumes as Megavolt hit the glass with his fist, a bit of electricity sparking up from the contact. His friends stared wide eyed as his shoulders began shaking. He’d always been the strong one, he’d always been the one keeping them together when things turned for the worse, but to see Megavolt heartbroken like this…

“H-hey.” Bushroot stammered, kneeling down to where the other sat. “Come on, you can’t seriously believe that-”

“I’m a loser who got a child kicked out of his home, who got his friends- his _partners_ trapped in peril, who got St Canard’s only savior captured and on his _death bed!_” Megavolt pulled at his hair in frustration. “I should’ve- I should’ve never gotten you all into this, I-!”

Megavolt was cut off by a rush of water splashing down on him. By the time he had processed what happened, he felt the electricity coursing through his body spark up all at once, short circuiting from the liquid. He yelped as the reaction made him shake and fall backwards, being caught by watery arms at the last second that wrapped around him tightly.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t let you say such things a-and this is the only way I can hold you.” Liquidator nuzzled against his friend as he breathed heavily from short circuiting. “None of this is your fault.”

“It’s Negaduck’s.” Bushroot leaned forward, and wrapped himself around the pair. “And we’re the only ones who can take him down. You said it yourself, Sparky, did you forget already?”

Calming down, Megavolt looked at the two mutants hugging him. “But…but Tank, I-“

“I chose to help you guys stop Negaduck.” The boy held Megavolt’s arm, looking at him with a small smile. “I trusted you all, and I still do. My parents…my family, aren’t good people.” Tank lowered his gaze at that, before shaking his head. “But, I- I don’t regret my choices! I’d choose your side any day!”

Tears forming at the corners of his eyes, Megavolt gave a small nod and pulled Tank into the group hug. For a moment, he forgot about everything horrible happening around him and just let himself be surrounded by love. He only snapped back into reality at the sound of quick tapping and watched Quackerjack stand up with a device in his hands.

“…Jackie? What are you-?”

“You aren’t the only one worried about losing Darkwing you know.” Quackerjack gave his teammates a smile, and gestured to his remote control. “I just had to wait for Negadork to get far away enough to do something about it.”

Before anyone could question what he meant by that, a familiar shrill noise came rushing into the room through the window. Darkwing, who had been focusing on his last ditch escape efforts up until this point, gulped at the sight of the drone that bumped into him earlier in the day. The machine produced a hand that gave him a wave before brandishing a small axe.

“M-maybe this isn’t such a great idea!” He stammered, as the drone flew closer with the weapon. As it hacked away at Darkwing’s restraints he scrambled to keep out of harm’s way, thrashing about as he did.

“Quit squirming!” Quackerjack called out, pushing around the joystick of the controller with master precision. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be!”

“Bad drone, bad drone!” Darkwing squeaked out, barely hearing the warnings. Once he felt the tug on his wrists and ankles lessened, he jumped off of the table in an instant, rubbing at the sore body parts. “W-well! Just another death-defying escape by Darkwing-!” The pendulum had finished snapping the rope, causing the large mallet to come crashing down and crushing the drone where Darkwing once was. “Duck!”

“Aw geez, that was one of my better models too.” Quackerjack pressed a hand to his forehead in mourning for his invention, but still couldn’t help but smile and laugh over their small victory. The rest of his imprisoned friends shot up off of the ground and cheered, clinging to Quackerjack and praising him for his quick thinking.

Darkwing darted over and pushed at the button opening the glass container. The heroes quickly rushed out, all too happy to be out of the dreadful prison. Looking at Tank, who was still holding onto Megavolt’s arm, Darkwing was reminded of the awful mistreatment that happened earlier and gave the boy a gentle pat on the head.

“We can’t let Negaduck get away any longer; the time to act is _now_.” Darkwing proclaimed. He looked directly at Megavolt as he spoke. “Got any bright ideas?”

“Well…” The rodent hummed in thought, and looked around the room to his allies. “I think it’s time we finally went through with Operation Restoration.”

The rest of the team made a noise at that, before smiling at the idea. Darkwing felt out of the loop…a feeling he felt _a lot_ today when he thought about it.

“Whatever you say, boss.” Liquidator moved around full of energy, beaming from their good fortune. “Though I think you might want to recharge before we do much else. I _did_ short circuit you after all…sorry about that.”

“It’s fine, I needed a boost anyway.” Megavolt laughed as pitiful little sparks lit up on his fingertips. “Alright, you guys go and take Tank to our safe house; I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”

“I’ll stay with Sparky.” Quackerjack elbowed his friend. “Don’t want him losing himself again.”

Megavolt made a noise at that, but shook his head. He knelt down and gave Tank a hug. “Stay safe. We’ll come to you when everything’s dealt with.”

“Be safe yourselves.” Tank squeezed back. “I’ll be alright.”

“And don’t you dare come looking for us. We can’t risk you getting hurt.” Bushroot leaned down to make direct eye contact. “I’m _serious_, kid.”

“I-I won’t.”

Pulling away, Tank went to follow Bushroot and Liquidator as they exited the room, Darkwing behind them, asking questions about what Operation Restoration meant. Before he left, something blocked his vision, startling Tank for a second before realizing it was Quackerjack’s hat. He looked up at the smiling mallard.

“Hold on to that for me, you can give it back later.” He assured. Tank’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he held onto it, nodding once before running off to catch up with the others, leaving Megavolt and Quackerjack alone.

For a moment, there was silence. Followed by quiet sniffles, that led to Quackerjack turning around and running into Megavolt’s open arms. No words were said as the pair held onto one another tightly. They’d been around each other long enough to understand the types of feelings they were going through.

“…I’m sorry.” Megavolt eventually muttered. He pulled away from their embrace just enough to wipe away his friend’s tears. “I know that wasn’t easy for you, and I didn’t make it any better by breaking down.”

“It wasn’t your fault…you can’t be strong all the time, Megs.” Quackerjack wiped at his own face roughly. “I just-! They left Tank for _dead_, they didn’t even…he didn’t deserve any of that. I can’t believe it…”

“We’ve known for a long time that Tank and Gosalyn come from…_unfortunate_ households.” That was putting it lightly, but Megavolt sighed and continued anyway. “The important thing is that Tank will be safe now. We’ll talk with him at the safe house later about what to do next.”

“Oh sure, that’ll be a fun conversation. ‘Hey Tank, your parents don’t want you anymore, we’re taking you to an _orphanage’!_” Quackerjack breathed heavy from the exclamation, staring at Megavolt who looked at him sadly. He winced. The whole situation hit very close to home for him. “Sorry…I’m riled up.”

“You’re allowed to be.” Megavolt smiled softly and cupped his cheek. Quackerjack leaned into the touch, sighing at the contact. “After all, you can’t be strong all the time.”

“…wise guy.” The duo laughed despite themselves. They shared a loving gaze before Quackerjack ultimately tore himself away flustered. “C’mon, we can handle the sappy stuff later. Right now we’ve gotta get you charged up, Sparky.”

“I mean, we _could_ do both. It’s just the two of us after all.” Megavolt snickered as his partner's face turned red at the insinuation. “I’m kidding, Jackie.”

“Geez, _warn_ a guy next time you try to make a move on him. You’re as bad as Reggie.” The duck rubbed at his burning cheeks before grabbing the remains of his crushed drone. Some of it still seemed salvageable despite being crushed by an oversized hammer. “I think I can get something going to help you recharge on the field. But you might want to find a more…instantaneous method of shock absorption for now.”

Quackerjack tossed over a metal rod to his friend. Taking the hint, Megavolt gave a nod and took to exploring the room for any electrical outlets he could...well, do a stupid action that he would discourage children from repeating. Glancing out the window as he wandered, Megavolt realized they must’ve been locked up in Negaduck’s tower this whole time. His eyebrow twitched at that; he always thought the place was ridiculously tacky, even for Negaduck.

His disgust quickly faded as he spotted the rest of the team scurry through the streets, before ducking into an alleyway to keep out of sight.

“…we’ll be okay.” Megavolt assured himself quietly. Turning away from the window, he spotted an electric socket in the wall and sighed. He really hated doing this sort of thing, but desperate times called for it. Clenching his eyes shut, he stuck the metal in and felt the telltale zap of current wash over him.

Quackerjack paused from his work to wince at the sight. “Do _not_ try this at home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh BOY this chapter was a doozy to write! But as bad it is, that's how good it can be in terms of hope! Things will be alright...right?
> 
> Hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	7. Operation Restoration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Friendly Four work to clean up St Canard.

After escaping the tower, and Liquidator’s group returning after dropping Tank off at the safe house, the heroes made their way to the park nearby. It was lifeless and dry, with a great view of the darkened city, making it the perfect place for the Friendly Four’s plan to begin. Cracking his knuckles, Megavolt stepped forward, staring out at the tall buildings.

“Let’s. Get. Luminous.”

Electricity climbed up his arms in a large streaming circuit before being shot out by his fingertips towards the city. Catching the powerlines, dozens of houses and offices were lit up by Megavolt’s charge, the energy running through the cables to the inactive power plants and urging them to start up a new. He held this cycle until he felt the last trickle of electricity seep out of him, taking some deep breaths and shaking his hands from the action.

“Light of my life.” Quackerjack gave his friend a pat on the back, feeling static cling to his fingers as he did. Megavolt couldn’t help but smile and lean on the other, feeling an arm wrap around his shoulders as he did.

Meanwhile, the mutated half of the Friendly Four got to work on the park’s terrain. Bushroot grimaced at the sight of the water in the fountain. What was once clean liquid soiled only by coins and the occasional fallen leaf was now murky, brown and carried an unpleasant aroma.

“Yeah, I’m not going to be able to fix the plant life like this.” He concluded. Bushroot looked at his comrade and gestured to the fountain. “You think you could…?”

“Cleanse it?” Liquidator smiled, but Bushroot could tell it wasn’t one his usual smiles. It seemed…mischievous. “Why? Is there something wrong with the environment, Dr. Bushroot?”

“…Really? We’re really doing this _now?_” The plant duck groaned loudly and pulled at his face. Of course the former environmentalist would bring up their past history. “Come on, I thought we were past all this-”

“I don’t know what you mean.” He sang, clearly enjoying getting a bit of revenge for all the times Bushroot would slam a door in Bud Flood’s face for trying to bring attention to St Canard’s declining park conditions. “Is there something _wrong_ with the parks?”

Bushroot growled lowly before sighing, prioritizing the importance of their mission over his pride. “…yes. There’s something wrong with the parks, and I want to do something to help fix it…with you.”

Liquidator smiled genuinely, seemingly pleased with the words. Giving a small nod, the water canine leapt into the murky liquid of the fountain, which splashed up on a very annoyed plant duck. Swimming around in the unpleasant pool, Liquidator gathered up and absorbed the contaminations of the water until it became as clean as it could be in its condition. Diving into the pipes and removing the clogs, the fountain was soon back to its former glory.

“Oof, I’m going to be feeling those nasty chemicals for a while.” Liquidator coughed a bit as he got out of the fountain, feeling a little dizzy. “B-But you should be able to…fix the plants now…”

As he was trailing off, Liquidator felt an arm wrap around his front, trying to keep him from toppling over. Looking up, he saw Bushroot giving him a small smile, before guiding him to a nearby garbage bin that wasn’t overflowing with trash. Liquidator slumped against the bin confused as Bushroot patted his head.

“Nice work, Bud. I’ll take it from here.” He spoke softly and winked, flustering his comrade a bit.

“…thank you.”

Turning away, Bushroot casually mentioned that if he needed to, Liquidator should consider purging the nasty chemicals where he couldn’t see it happen. He didn’t wait for an answer, choosing to look at the work in front of him. A lot of dead trees, some under watered bushes and an abundance of dry flowers…everything that would usually be chatting their heads off to Bushroot stayed eerily silent.

It was a type of sadness he wasn’t used to feeling.

“Now that the water’s back, you guys don’t have an excuse anymore!” He called out, urging the plant life to communicate back to him. He harshly stamped at the ground. “Come on, _live_ you bunch of pansies!”

Hearing his commands, the plants came to attention. Fear and determination coursed through the plant life as they obeyed, taking in as much of the clean water running underneath them as they could and using it to grow. The trees shook their branches as leaves sprouted up, and the flowers’ colors brightened up as they reached up towards the sky. Even the grass itself seemed to get a little greener, thanks to Bushroot’s repeating desires for healing being subconsciously emitted to the life around him.

“Woah, I had no idea you could do that!” Darkwing hopped over a flower bush, and looked around at the stunning display. “This is incredible!”

“It’s alright.” Bushroot said offhandedly, heading back to where Liquidator was. “They could do better if the sky wasn’t a constant smog though. Sunlight is kind of a “thing” for us plants, you know?”

“Right, the sun. That’s a bit out range for us I suppose.” Darkwing grimaced at the sight of the darkened red skies that have been present the whole time he’s been in the Negaverse. How long has the city been like this…how long has it been since they’ve experienced a warm sunny day? 

“Out of range for _you_, maybe, but don’t count me out yet.”

The three heroes turned to see Quackerjack smirking with a slowly recharging Megavolt at his side. The rat wore bracelets around his wrists that acted as outlets emitting electricity into him; an action that helped revitalize Megavolt quite a bit from his earlier drain. He sat near Bushroot and Liquidator, the group all watching as Quackerjack pulled out another controller of sorts from his pocket and started to press at its buttons rapidly.

“What are you up to, Quackerjack?” Darkwing asked concerned with the mallard’s actions and previous claim. “You’re not secretly some sort of weather wizard in the Negaverse are you?”

“Hardly. I just like playing games.” The controller shot up an antennae and a small display screen lit up. Several camera feeds were displayed, each showing various locations around town. Quackerjack raised an eyebrow as Darkwing leaned over his shoulder in fascination. “What, never seen drone cameras before?”

“You mean you have _more_ of those do-dads!” he exclaimed. Bushroot laughed behind him.

“As if Quackerjack only has one copy of his machines lying around.” The plant sat next to Megavolt, leaning against him. “He’s been leaving those things around town for weeks now. A real litterbug.”

“Yeah, well, you can arrest me after I clear up the skies, officer Bushbrain.” He stuck his tongue out childishly. “I’m doing this for _you_ you know.”

“Wait wait wait.” Darkwing spluttered waving his hands around. “You’re trying to tell me those gadgets of yours can clear up the skies? They can do that?”

“Well, they can disable the factories making the smog in the first place, that’s a decent start. From there, it’s just a matter of getting them to redirect the clouds and-“ Quackerjack looked at the bewildered duck beside him and sighed. “Long story short; yeah. Relax, I’ve got this.”

“Alright, I’ll get out of your way I guess…” Darkwing backed away, leaving Quackerjack to input rapid commands to his drones remotely. He turned to face Megavolt, hands on his hips. “So Sparky, looks like your plan is really coming to light.”

“Don’t call him that.” Bushroot said annoyed. Megavolt looked away embarrassed by the nickname, and Liquidator laughed at the sight.

“I take it our leader is getting his own spark back? You seem brighter than you were a moment ago.” Liquidator slumped down to sit near his friends, feeling better than he had been earlier.

“Yeah, these charging bracelets really help. Great work with the water by the way.” He gestured to the fountain. “I can’t remember the last time I saw it so clean…no, really I can’t.”

The others couldn’t help but laugh a bit, Darkwing smiling at the sight. These guys had a good thing going for them, that much he was certain. St Canard really would be in good hands when he leaves…after he’s stopped Negaduck and more importantly, makes sure Nega Gosalyn will be safe from further harm.

Darkwing felt his heart sink a bit as he thought about that. He couldn’t stay here forever, he has his own Gosalyn to take care of! Bringing her back with him would be far too complicated for everyone, not to mention it wouldn’t be fair to steal this Gosalyn away from her own world, even if it was for good intentions. A part of him wanted to make sure he could visit her no matter where she ends up, but the larger part of him knew the gateway between their worlds needed to be sealed off for good. The best he could do for her was make sure she was at least in good hands to raise her…

Just as a sudden realization came to him, a ray of sunshine shone behind Darkwing, his shadow looming in front. Turning, he squinted to the sky and watched the smoggy clouds pass away and reveal blue skies and a bright, warm sun. Darkwing took a breath of air, and although it still wasn’t the greatest, it felt like he was back home for the first time of his visit to this dimension. Hearing noise behind him, Darkwing turned and saw Bushroot clinging to a giggling Quackerjack.

“I take it you’re happy to get your solar vitamins again, Reggie?” Quackerjack gave his friend a tight hug, face nuzzling against the purple petals. The plant duck in question nodded his head rapidly, and pulled away with big smile on his face.

“You have no idea how much I needed that.” Grinning, he noticed he wasn’t the only one joyous of the sun’s return, as many of the struggling plant life around seemed to get the extra boost they needed to thrive. Megavolt and Liquidator got up and awed at the sight, Darkwing joining them as the group assembled.

“Great work everyone! St Canard couldn’t have asked for better heroes, in this or any other universe!” Darkwing spoke proudly, causing the four to become flustered from such praise. Especially from someone they look up to.

“We’re no Darkwings…” Megavolt started.

“…but we get the job done!” Liquidator finished. He hesitantly placed a hand on the rat’s shoulder. When no immediate sparks occurred from it, the two shared a fond look.

“Please, you guys make great Darkwings! …say, that gives me an idea…” He hummed and glanced at his purple clad outfit, lifting his cape in thought. “How opposed would you all be to a wardrobe change?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are brightening up for our heroes! But with all this sunshine and happiness, what's going to be Negaduck's next move? And where's Gosalyn in all this...?


	8. An Act of Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are changing in St Canard, and Negaduck doesn't like it. Gosalyn, however, finds herself wanting to do more...

“That too-good, rotten, ridiculous excuse of a duck!” Negaduck yelled out obscenities to the now clear sky. Launchpad and Gosalyn sat in the armchairs nearby, the former paying little attention to his partner’s hissy fit and instead cleaning gunk off of one of his blasters. Gosalyn bit at her beak, trying to keep from smiling too much from it all.

Her heroes were doing it; they were _really_ fixing up St Canard! Darkwing and the Friendly Four had Negaduck on the ropes now, a fact that Gosalyn couldn’t help but be giddy over. Sure, she was worried about what her villainous father would do about his predicament, and what her own fate would be when everything’s done and settled, but for now she could cling onto this new bit of hope shining down on her like the sunlight through the cracks of her home’s busted rooftops and walls.

Actually, the sight of something running past a hole in a wall outside caught her eye.

She gasped quietly, recognizing the figure as Tank. Gosalyn had been terrified when her close friend had been taken away, only calming down a bit when Negaduck told her he’d thrown Tank in with the Friendly Four. She knew he’d be safer with the four than he ever would be with his family, and was positive he would be kept far from harm’s way from now on. Clearly, the latter assumption was a bit idealistic.

“I’ll uh…I’ll be outside…wrecking the lawn gnomes.” She lied with a giggle. Negaduck was too invested in his rage to hear her, and Launchpad just made a noise of acknowledgment. Quickly and quietly, Gosalyn headed towards her backyard, eager to find out what her friend was doing here.

She almost tripped over a bag of toys lying in the kitchen on her way out. Gosalyn frowned and pushed it aside without a second thought, not wanting others to hurt themselves. A part of her hurt from the fact such courtesies weren’t often thought of for her behalf however.

Gosalyn glanced around the dirty kitchen, wondering if she’d be staying in this house much longer. Negaduck and Launchpad weren’t…_terrible_ parental figures she supposed. They never laid a hand on her, and only yelled at her when she deserved it! That makes them okay right? Negaduck took her in when he stopped Taurus Bulba, and Launchpad did make an effort to try and get her nice things.

Still, a room full of toys and a roof over her head did little to mend Gosalyn’s broken heart. She just wanted a family who cared about her…but her hopes of that were dashed the day Taurus Bulba died. For now, all she could do is try and save St Canard from Negaduck’s evil anyway she could.

Determination ablaze, she exited into her backyard. Glancing around she tried to catch sight of her friend; there wasn’t much garden in her garden, but it was home to a lot of Launchpad’s weaponry. Pushing aside a bow and arrow set, she spotted Tank and called for him.

“Gosalyn! Quiet!” he hushed, startled from her voice. “I can’t have mother and father discover I’m here!”

“Sorry. I’m just happy to see you.” She leaped forward and wrapped the older boy in a hug. He returned the gesture, happy to know she was safe as well. Gosalyn pushed back, realizing something. “I mean, I’m happy to _see_ you, but I’m not happy that you’re _here_. What are you doing back? Why aren’t you with the four and Darkwing?”

“I may have…rebelled a bit.” He winced, rubbing his neck at the sound of Gosalyn’s surprise. “They told me to stay put at the safe house, but I couldn’t just sit around while you were still trapped here! So I…well, I snuck out.”

“Tank!” Gosalyn put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. “The point of the safe house was so we could be safe! I would’ve been fine.”

“But I couldn’t be certain of that.” Tank looked at her and caught glimpse of his house behind her. He recoiled slightly, eyes welling up with tears at remembrance. “And also…I wanted to try and take some of my belongings while I could.”

“While you…?” Her anger quickly faded at the sight of her friend’s tears. Immediately she pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket to dab at his cheeks as he cried. “Tank, what happened?”

“M-mother and father, they-“ Tank bit his beak, trying to keep himself together for Gosalyn. “I’m not a Muddlefoot anymore, Gos. They’ve disowned me.”

Gosalyn’s eyes widened, dropping her handkerchief in shock. The fabric was soiled by a puddle of diesel, but she couldn’t care about such things now. She stepped backwards as it all started to sink in, hands grasping one another in front of her chest that felt far too tight. “…this is all my fault-“

“No. No, Gosalyn, none of this was your fault.” Tank quickly assured. He had a feeling Gosalyn would try to put the blame on herself. “My family were bad people, a-and I knew that. They’ve made their decision and all I can do is…well, adapt to the changes ahead of me. And look out for you.”

“No…” she shook her head, eyes focused on the ground. “No, it _is_ my fault…I’m the one w-who took you to meet the Four in the first place. I got you involved in everything, if I’d just- if I had only stayed in my room that night, you would still have a _home_…”

Tank stayed silent, staring at his friend whose hands were shaking. At the sound of the first hiccup she made as she began to cry, he gently raised her head and pointed towards the neighboring building. “That isn’t my home. It hasn’t been for a while now, not since you took me to meet the Four for the first time.”

“H-huh?” she stammered, wiping at her face with the back of her arm and wishing she hadn’t dropped her handkerchief. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I grew up thinking my parents cared about me. That every time they’d ignore me, it was just cause they were too tired from work, or whenever I’d ask them for something, I was being too selfish and not thinking about _their _needs. And when my brother was born, and started hitting me, I thought I couldn’t stand up to him because I had to be the big brother and support his actions.” Tank looked long and hard at the window of his bedroom as he spoke. He thought of all the countless days and nights he’d keep himself in that room, protecting himself from the rest of his family by hiding away.

He finally could smile when his eye caught the sight of the rope he’d use as an escape route dangling from the window to the backyard. The rope that allowed him and Gosalyn to sneak off as much as they did. He continued.

“I thought that was alright, that it was a normal life to live. But I met you, the girl being raised by _Negaduck_ of all people but still was kinder and more compassionate than my family ever hoped to be with me. And you made me realize…good people still exist in St Canard. I was just lucky enough one of them was my neighbor.”

Gosalyn gave him a small smile at that, before glancing down. “But I wasn’t kind…I’m the one who asked you to help me sneak out information. If I was a real friend, I should’ve kept you out of it.”

“Kept me out of being a good person?” He gave a laugh at the thought. “Gos, I knew the risks I was putting myself in, but I also knew that it was for the city’s wellbeing. There’s no way I was going to just sit around and do nothing while my family helps Negaduck burn St Canard to the ground. Besides, the Four have been a better family to me in a few months than the Muddlefoots have been my entire _life_. It’d be ridiculous to state that I’d feel anything but gratitude towards them and their cause.”

She felt a smile forming on her face at the sentiment, knowing full well she felt the same. Gosalyn had gone so long without people caring for her, truly caring for her and her needs. The days she and Tank would spend with the Friendly Four in their warehouse base, where they just could be themselves and read and play and never felt alone were some of the best days of Gosalyn’s life.

The days the six of them felt like a family of their own.

“…me too.” She sniffled, laughing a bit from how silly she was behaving. “I’m grateful for them too.”

“Then…I propose we go help our heroes, Gos.” Tank reached for Gosalyn’s hands and looked at her focused. “They’ve done so much for us…I think it’s time we helped them.”

“What would we do? We can’t fight Negaduck and the others, we’d just get in the way-“

“We wouldn’t have to fight!” Tank assured, shaking his head at the very thought of violence. There was no way he’d ever let the girl he’d come to think of as a sister come to any harm. “But when I was escaping Negaduck’s tower, I think I saw a camera showing some sort of prison. Do you remember all the news reports about one time heroes trying to step up to Negaduck and then disappearing?”

“Yes…” Gosalyn gasped loudly. “Negaduck’s been keeping the heroes locked up in a prison! If we could find out where the prison is-“

“We could get reinforcements!”

The two children smiled brightly at the possibility; more shining heroes to help the recovering St Canard would be a huge help for their cause. Gosalyn gave Tank another hug before tugging at his arm for them to get going. She didn’t want to waste another second, and didn’t think of much else. Neither of them really did at this point.

They were changing things _now_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These kids are heroes in their own rights :D Sorry for the delay in updates! Haven't been able to write much due to work. Should be reaching the end of the story soon though, so stay tuned!


	9. Evil Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negaduck gets lectured by his partner.

If Negaduck had taken a moment to notice Gosalyn’s absence in the first place, he would’ve paid more attention to the sight of two kids running down the street from the corner of his eye. But he hadn’t, and his mind was still foggy with rage, making it hard to really focus on anything other than revenge on his enemy. He whacked Launchpad on the back of the head.

“Lamebrain, go get the Muddlefoots.” His partner growled and rubbed at his head. “We’ve got a duck running around that needs a couple of holes in ‘im.”

“Like that’s going to be any different than normal. Darkwing Dork always beats ya.” Launchpad sneered. He didn’t flinch when Negaduck snapped his head towards him with teeth bared. “He beats ya cause you never let me tag along with ya at least.”

“You tryin’ to say I can’t do things on my own?” Negaduck leaned over the man sitting down, grip tightening on the arm rest. “Cause last I checked, I was running my city pretty smoothly long before I met your sorry mug.”

“This sorry mug’s the only reason you’ve still _got_ a city to run.” Launchpad pushed himself up off the armchair, the recoil of the action making Negaduck lose balance for a moment. His impressive height towered over the villain, arms crossed as he spoke. “Who’d you think manages things here when you’re off getting your butt kicked by a dork in a costume?” 

“…S.H.U.S.H.” he guessed, and got his beak flicked as a result. “Alright, so _what_ if you’re the backup me?”

“That’s just it! I can’t back you up when you do these solo missions of yours!” Launchpad rubbed his eyes, growing very frustrated with the other. “Every time you came back from that Negaverse place, ya got a new failure to talk about. Ya ever think those failures could be avoided if you just- I dunno, brought your partner with you?”

“Please. I can handle myself. I don’t need you babysitting me, LP.” Negaduck tried to brush off the insinuation and started walking to the exit before an arm blocked him off by slamming into the wall. His bill was crushed by the strong arm in front of him. “I take it you have more nonsense to say?”

“You’re an idiot, but you’ve got at least one brain cell in there don’t ya?” Launchpad rolled his eyes and pulled away, looking off to the side. “Listen, if you wanna go out there and dance the same dance you always do and lose _everything_ we’ve worked on here to Darkwing Duck, be my guest. But if you actually want to _win_ against the doofus, and reclaim what’s ours, then maybe you should try _listening_ to me.”

Negaduck stared, an eyebrow raised. If he was being honest, Launchpad was probably one of the only people in his life whose opinion he valued. Something about the crook just appealed to Negaduck, hence why the two were close enough to live under the same roof and somewhat raise a child. No one else in St Canard would dare to even offer such companionship to their leader. But Launchpad dared, and that made Negaduck happy, deep down in his cold heart.

“…you really think you’ve got a chance at squashing Darkwing?” he eventually muttered. When Launchpad turned to look at him with a sinister grin, Negaduck could feel his heart jump in response.

“No, I think I’ve got a plan to destroy everything he loves and cherishes... _then_ I’ll have a go at crushing him physically.”

“Oh?” Negaduck leaned forward and tilted his head to the side. “What kind of plan would that be?”

“You told me a while ago you got the Freaky Four goons to work for you in the Negaverse right? Well, that got me thinking about all the other heroes we’ve trampled over the years.” Launchpad began walking around the room as he explained himself, and Negaduck couldn’t help but sit and watch him ramble with curiosity. “If there’s a bunch of super powered heroic losers here, there’s gotta be a bunch of super powered villains there, right?”

“I play cards with a bunch of them every other month, sure.” Negaduck sneered, remembering how most of those nights ended up with brawls. “But they’re just as much a bunch of idiots there as they are here, ya know.”

“But they’re idiots we can train and assemble.” Launchpad leaned against a busted bookcase across the room. “You got the four to work for you, and got closer than ever to taking over the Negaverse. Take me and the Muddlefoots with you and with our numbers we can easily crush and conquer that St Canard. Heck, we could conquer that world!”

“Dim brain, I thought you had an actual plan.” Negaduck grimaced and sunk back into his seat in disappointment. He ran his hands down his face, tugging at his mask. “Even we got an army, Darkwing could just-“

“He won’t be able to.” He watched as Negaduck’s head raised in interest and smirked. “Darkwing Duck will be too busy being stuck here to come follow us.”

“…are you suggesting we cut off the universal doorway?”

“Just until we’ve had our fun in his universe. Then we’ll come back home and finish him for good.”

Negaduck gripped at the seat’s armrests, his anger slowly building at the idea of abandoning his world in favor of destroying Darkwing’s. He grit at his teeth and tried to fight against the rage with rational thought. The idea itself had way more pros to it than cons; the only thing holding him back was his pride.

Somehow, Launchpad was picking up on Negaduck’s internal conflict and calmly walked over to the other, a smug look on his face. He stood in front of the terror and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, only taking a step back to let Negaduck stand up from his seat. Adjusting his hat, he made his decision.

“Go get the Muddlefoots…we’ve got a Negaverse to destroy. And I was getting sick of this place anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> duh duh DUUUUUUH! I'm still not 100% sure if I'm having the Negaduck/Nega Launchpad dynamic be romantic or not, but hope you enjoyed their scheming regardless! Things are coming together...but weren't the kids off about to do something?


	10. Heroic Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gosalyn and Tank work together to free St Canard's trapped heroes.

Gosalyn breathed heavily, very tired from her running.

For once, she was grateful that she had been adopted by St Canard’s ruler; it gave her enough knowledge about his bases of operation to know _exactly_ where he had locked up all the heroes that tried to stop him over the years. From there, it was a simple matter of getting to the sewer entrance across town.

What _wasn’t_ simple was her and Tank being seen by a couple of Negaduck’s cronies and running for their lives down the dank and dark corridors of the sewer.

“I think they went this way, c’mon!” One of them yelled out. Thankfully, he and the rest of the goons ran into a tunnel opposite to the one Gosalyn and Tank dove into to hide. The children covered the mouths to keep quiet, eyes watering over the foul stench the area carried with it. They let out a loud gasp when they knew they were in the clear.

“A-A most disgusting location for a prison.” Tank grimaced at the many splotches of ick covering his sweater. Gosalyn’s pink dress didn’t fare much better in comparison. “Can you recognize where we are, Gos? Are we close?”

“I-I think so.” she coughed, glancing around. “I’ve only been down here once or twice before…I think we have to go down this way.”

Tank gave a nod, and followed her as they ran through the tunnels, stopping only to check corners. The sewers were a labyrinth, and even Gosalyn admitted most of her decisions were instinct based, but there was no mistaking it when they found what they were looking for.

Standing before them was a large steel door with a big padlock at the front. It seemed mainly for show, however, as a keypad on the side wall seemed to be the _actual_ lock. Tank grimaced at the sight.

“It appears to be a key code. We’d need a password or something to decipher it.” He adjusted his glasses, squinting as he stared at the buttons. “It’s too filthy down here to try and figure out which buttons were pushed most. At least from there I could try and come up with some ideas-“

“I think I can try.” Gosalyn gave her a friend a smile and walked up to the device. She hesitated for a moment, but inputted a phrase, her face cringing as she typed. Her disgust lifted as a cheerful ping confirmed her guess and the padlock door began to open.

Tank gaped and turned to her. “What was-“

“Please don’t ask me to say it.” Gosalyn didn’t make eye contact as she headed towards the opening door. “It isn’t something young ladies like myself should say out loud.”

He didn’t say another word on the subject and nodded in sympathy.

Pushing the heavy door aside to sneak through, the children couldn’t help but gasp at the sight before them. Rows of cells with glass walls stretched past farther than their eyes could see, each with an occupant inside who seemed alarmed to see them. Tank recognized a handful of them from news reports, but there were still many more than he realized.

“All these people trapped here…” He muttered, pressing a hand against one of the cells’ glass. Tank immediately recognized it from his own prison at the tower, and looked up at a woman staring back at him worried. “Don’t worry! We’re here to help you!”

The woman seemed to gasp at the statement, though Tank couldn’t hear the noise. It seemed that the walls would only permit noise from the outside in and not the other way around. How many times had these poor people had to endure cruel words from people like Negaduck, he wondered.

Gosalyn quietly walked down the long hallway, memorizing everyone’s faces. They looked scared, and if she was honest, she probably didn’t look much better herself. It was horrifying to think that good people were forced to be down here without sunlight for who knows how long, just for fighting back against evil. Guilt sunk in at the fact she should’ve thought about doing something like this sooner.

Her self-pitying was cut short by a loud thudding noise, which made her jump. Gosalyn quickly turned her head towards the source, and her eyes widened at the sight of familiar faces. They smiled awkwardly at her but up until this point she thought they were _dead_.

“Hammerhead, Hoof, Mouth!” She ran towards their cell and pressed against the glass. The occupants knelt down to her level and waved, mouthing words she couldn’t really catch. “I thought you-! Negaduck said you-!”

The trio seemed to be taken aback by the mention of their captor, Hoof and Mouth glancing side to side down the hall to see if the duck in question was around. Gosalyn stepped back and watched the three panic. They took such good care of her when she was under Taurus Bulba’s care…furrowing her brow, she knew _she_ had to be the strong one now.

“Don’t worry! Everything will be alright!” Gosalyn stated loudly, echoing through the cellblock. Several other prisoners perked up, and even Tank was impressed by how confident his friend sounded. “St Canard is being saved by the Friendly Four and Darkwing Duck; Negaduck won’t be hurting us any longer! We’ll get you all out of here and we can all help them get rid of his evil!”

It didn’t take a genius to recognize the cheering being made in each cell. Gosalyn smiled brightly and looked over to Tank. He patted her shoulder. “More heroic words were never spoken.”

“You clearly haven’t been around mister Megavolt for very long then.” She giggled. “He’s always saying things like that.”

“I suppose you’re right. His influence is rubbing off on you then.” Tank laughed in agreement. Glancing to the side, he noticed Hammerhead pointing at something further down the hallway. “What do you suppose he’s trying to tell us?”

“I’m not sure, but I trust him.” Gosalyn gave the man a smile and proceeded to head in that direction in a hurry. “It must be something important!”

Darting down the hallways, waving at a few of the friendly prisoners as they went, the two came across a large computer with a dozen monitors to it. The screens showed images much like the feeds they saw back at the tower, and figured the two computers must’ve been connected remotely. Tank stared at the keyboard, rubbing his chin in thought.

“This must be what your friend was trying to tell us about. Something tells me that this device controls the prison cells.” He leaned over and began typing away. “I’m not the greatest with computers, but maybe…”

“Be careful.” Gosalyn warned, suddenly all too worried that one slip up would cause the guards to come running. Her heart quickened at the thought. She always hated the feeling of dread that would come over her whenever she did something she shouldn’t have.

As Tank continued typing away, Gosalyn’s fears had turned reality as the goons they’d escape from earlier gave a shout from the open doorway. The children yelped in surprise, but Tank only typed faster, refusing to let up until his work was finished. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead as he did.

Gosalyn looked back between her friend and oncoming men, taking a few steps back out of instinct. Her hand caught on something lying on a table nearby and she grabbed it, pulling it close to her chest. It was a metal pipe, and while she didn’t want to use violence by any means, the weapon was the closest thing to protection she had. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes at the thought.

The goons stopped dead in the tracks at the sound of a loud alarm going off, instead ramming their hands against their ears to try and block out the noise. Gosalyn gasped and look towards Tank, who stared at their enemies triumphantly. The cell doors began to slide open, and dozens of heroes pushed their ways out to freedom. At the sight of the numbers surrounding them, the guards let out a childish scream and ran out of the prison with the tails between their legs.

“Gosalyn!” Hammerhead called out, running over to her. She dropped the pipe in her hands immediately and ran towards him, jumping into his open arms in a swinging hug. “Aw kid. I can’t believe you found us down ‘ere. You’re not hurt or nuthin’ are ya?”

“No, I’m alright!” She laughed as she was held up, Hoof and Mouth lifting up her arms to ensure she wasn’t lying and that she was still in one piece. “I’m just happy _you’re_ all alright! The last time I saw you…”

“The explosion. Yeah.” He gently put her down, rubbing his neck. “Gossie, I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you like we promised. Negaduck he- well, once he got to Taurus, the rest of us kinda fell apart. He locked us up here, but darnit, not a day went by that we didn’t regret protecting you when we should’ve.”

Gosalyn looked at the crestfallen man and his friends, guilt clear on all their faces. She didn’t hold a single grudge against any of them, but it was evident that time locked up made them all too aware of their failings. Tank came up beside her, and held her shoulder. He gave her a small smile, which she returned.

“I’m alright.” Gosalyn restated, feeling more confident with her words now than ever before. “Everything will be alright now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These brave kids have learned a lot under their heroic mentors, and Gosalyn is unleashing all of her inner courage! But will it be enough to stop Negaduck...?
> 
> Next chapter is the BIG ONE! Hope you enjoy!


	11. Battle at the Bakery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final showdown unfolds at the Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice bakery.

Negaduck growled at every pleasant sight he saw as he and his crew made their way into town. All the pleasant air, the bright sunshine and the vibrant lawns made him sick. Reminded him too much of Darkwing’s St Canard and not the one he spent years crafting into his own.

“Don’t worry. When this is all done, I’ll smash down a dozen buildings and it’ll feel like home again in no time, ND.” Launchpad grasped Negaduck’s shoulder in a firm grip with a smirk.

“You always know just what to say.” He teased back with a cackle. Negaduck didn’t catch Herb and Binkie rolling their eyes behind him, too used to the pair’s strange and vague attempts of flirting.

“So what kind of strategies are we usin’ in the Negaverse anyhow?” Honker piped up. His stomping caught Negaduck’s cape which pulled him back for a second before snatching up the fabric with a sneer. “We goin’ in guns blazin’ or are we going to sneak around like cockroaches when we get there?”

“We’ll figure it out when we get there, ya little twerp!” Negaduck growled. He inwardly complained about how annoying kids were, forgetting entirely that he had one under his charge. Launchpad remembered, he just didn’t care. “Right now, we got a cake to jump in.”

Arriving at the Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice Bakery, the villains stared at the worn down building. Snapping his fingers, Negaduck send Herb ahead to knock down the door, which he accomplished with a swift kick. He’d walk to and from this bakery in two dimensions many times, but Negaduck couldn’t help but feel a sense of disturbance wash over him as they entered. He held up a hand, signaling for the others to stop in place.

“Well, gee Lord Negaduck,” Binkie complained. “What’s the hold up now?”

“…I smell trouble. And not the fun, destructive kind.”

Before she had a chance to respond a sudden burst of blue gas filled the room. The others coughed, the smoke not having any particular chemicals to it other than being a choking hazard, but Negaduck’s teeth were bared. He knew this trick better than anyone else, and he expected to hear a familiar voice.

He didn’t expect to hear _four_ voices though.

“We are the terrors that flap in the night!” A cheerful voice rang out. Binkie jumped in shock as she felt a rush of water sweep over her feet that quickly froze her in place. Herb went to start hitting at the ice, but a vine wrapped around his fist pulling him back.

“We are the medicine to cure evil’s touch!” Another voice echoed, this one filled with hostility. The vine that held Herb’s fist pulled his arm back and then forward, smacking himself in the face. It released itself from its grasp and quickly slid away into the blue smoke.

“And we are the soap that’s cleaning up this town!” Giggling partnered itself with the calm voice that spoke. Launchpad’s eyes widened, figuring out what was happening and tried to warn his partner before getting cut off by a commanding statement.

“We are more than what you say, and we are this city’s new and improved protectors! We. Are!”

The Friendly Four, now wearing familiar purple masks and grey hats, held up their capes as the smoke cleared away. “_The Darkwing Four!_”

Negaduck stared at the group in shock. A bit of surprise, but also in mild fear at the implication. Still, he’d be a liar if he thought the sight was anything other than ridiculous, and found himself laughing lowly.

“Friendly Four, Darkwing Four, who cares?” He waved a hand. “You’re still just four _losers_ who banded together to be a bigger loser team.”

“These losers seem to have you on the run, Negs.” Megavolt smirked, raising a brow. “Or was there a different reason you came to escape into the Negaverse like a coward?”

“I’m not-! You’re just-!” Negaduck pulled at his hat, letting out an annoyed scream. “Herb! Grill ‘em!”

Herb pulled out chain nunchucks from his pocket and brandished them with a yell. He seemed to aim to intimidate with his moves, and did little to shake the determined heroes. Liquidator in particular collapsed into a puddle and shot forward.

“Yeah? You and what grill?” He mocked as Herb began to slip across the liquid. The larger man stumbled and tried to keep balance, but ended up sliding face to face to Quackerjack, who had a dark look in his eye.

“…oh, like I’m supposed to be intimidated by string bean here.” Herb remarked with a laugh. “I know you ain’t got no fancy freak powers.”

“True. But I do have combat training.”

In an instant, Herb felt the wind get knocked out of him as a fist hit him in the chest, followed by a punch to his cheek. He couldn’t catch a glimpse of Quackerjack’s movements as he leapt up and landed a spinning high kick to his side. The impact caused Herb to be shot backwards, colliding into Negaduck and the others. The group of villains were pushed out of the bakery entirely and out onto the street, all hitting the pavement with a resounding thud and groan in pain.

Quackerjack landed on his feet and flicked his hat up. “That was for Tank, you jerks.”

Negaduck snarled and struggled to get out from underneath Herb’s weight. The heroic nuisances were _really_ getting on his nerves now. It was one thing to be annoying and trying pitifully to stop him, but now they’ve all gone and gotten themselves cosplaying as-

“I take it you weren’t expecting this outcome, were you? You meddlesome, maniacal miscreant!”

“Darkwing Duck…” Negaduck spat out the words like it was poison he didn’t have the taste for. Pushing himself forward, he freed himself from being crushed and stared up at the duck standing on top of the bakery, cape flying in the wind. “I knew you were an egotistical maniac, but was a fanclub really necessary?”

“Hey, they filled the capes, pal. Not my fault this St Canard has _four_ Darkwings protecting it instead of one.” Darkwing waggled his fingers to prove his point before pulling out his signature gas gun. “Now surrender!”

“Never!” Negaduck pulled out a similar gun from his coat.

“Wha-! Hey! We can’t both use our gas guns!” He waved a hand around frantically. “They’ll cancel each other out, and this stuff ain’t cheap you know!”

“Who says mine has _gas_ in it?”

With a sinister grin, Negaduck pulled the trigger of his weapon and a suction cupped arrow with a rope shot out, hitting Darkwing smack in the center of his chest. He stared at it for a moment before gulping as Negaduck gave a tug and pulled the hero down from the rooftop and onto the street. Darkwing yelled at the sight of Launchpad winding up his fist and hitting him straight in the jaw before he hit the ground, propelling Darkwing into some nearby bushes. He expected bruises forming within the hour.

He didn’t expect to collide into two small children however.

“Gosalyn? Tank?” Darkwing yelped, quickly getting up on his knees to stop crushing them. He instinctively pulled out his cape to shield them from the villains’ eyes and whispered loudly. “What the heck are you _doing_ here?”

“We were on our way back to the safe house, honest!” Tank assured him, ducking down when he thought he saw his mother looking their way. “B-but we saw Negaduck coming and jumped in here to hide.”

“I saw what happened through the window!” Gosalyn tugged at Darkwing’s sleeve, far too excited to be afraid like she should be. “You’re all so _cool!_”

“Really? Well, thanks I-“ Darkwing stopped himself and shook his head. “No! Why were you out of the safe house at all, Tank! It’s dangerous out here!”

“Well then, Dipwing, let’s _get_ dangerous.”

Darkwing coughed as his cape was pulled back, tightening around his neck as it did. Being chucked backwards, he scrambled to try and stop Negaduck from getting to the kids, but found himself being snatched up by Launchpad. Darnit, even in the Negaverse, Launchpad still had the upper hand when it came to brute strength.

“Don’t you lay a finger on them, Negaduck!” He called out in warning, legs flailing in the hold he was in. The Darkwing Four rushed out of the bakery, hearing Darkwing’s struggles and tried to catch up with the situation.

“Lay a finger on who?” Darkwing wanted to smack himself for giving away the kids location. Negaduck glanced over at the bushes and noticed the children trying to crawl away. His eyes widened. “_Gosalyn?_”

She gave a yelp at the tone, and tried to grab at the ground when she felt Negaduck grab her by the collar. Tank desperately tried to hold onto her hands, but found himself in a similar situation as her with Negaduck’s free hand. The two were lifted up and brought out to face the rest of his goons who gasped at the sight. The Darkwing Four had to hold their leader back before he immediately jumped forward to try and rescue them thoughtlessly.

“H-Hi, mister Negaduck.” Gosalyn gave a weak smile to the snarling man. “Lovely day isn’t it?”

“I know _this_ one is a sniveling traitor,” Negaduck shook Tank for emphasis, the boy’s glasses falling off in the process. “But what the heck are _you_ doing here? I didn’t say you could leave the house.”

“Well, I let her go smash some gnomes,” Launchpad chimed in, just as confused as to why the child he’d been somewhat caring for ended up here. “But I figured she’d stay put.”

“Oh heavens, you can’t trust kids these days.” Binkie shook her head. “Give them an inch and they take a mile. Ungrateful, that’s what I say.”

“Wanting a life more than destruction is not asking for much, mother!” Tank shouted, startling both Gosalyn and Negaduck. His outburst fell on deaf ears however, as the Muddlefoots merely shrugged and acted as if nothing had happened. Tank’s fists shook, refusing to let his broken heart show any longer in front of his former guardians.

“Tank! You don’t have to fight!” Quackerjack called out, all too worried about what kinds of choices the child could make in this situation. “I promise we’ll protect you and Gos, just don’t fight back right now!”

“It’s okay!” Gosalyn perked up, her confidence coming back to her despite herself. “We already did our fighting, we got you reinforcements!”

“You got them _what!_” Negaduck screamed and dropped both of the kids. Two vines shot out and grabbed Gosalyn and Tank before they could hit the ground. Bushroot pulled them over to where the Darkwing Four were, picking up Tank’s glasses off the floor as well and passing them to the child. Megavolt immediately hugged them in relief, the sight making Negaduck grimace. “You better start talking, kiddo.”

“It might be better to show you.” She pulled out a device attached to her dress and tossed it over to the villain, who only barely managed to catch it without dropping it. He glared at the screen displaying a part of St Canard and raised an eyebrow at Gosalyn. She twirled a finger. “Pick some cameras and see for yourself!”

With a growl, Negaduck slammed down on the device’s button and was shocked by what came on the screen.

Two F.O.W.L. agents that took him months to capture stood triumphantly on top a pile of his men stationed at the hospital. Doctors and nurses alike had come out of the building to cheer in their victory. The pair of sisters seemed humbled by the glory, and Negaduck quickly switched to another camera.

His angry only increased as each camera feed he switched to showed a different situation with similar results. A woman using a marker to create traps for criminals, a shapeshifter tricking guards into leaving school grounds, a large walrus directing a group of penguins to pass out emergency rations to the part of town with no access to a grocery store. Heroes he had once locked away from the world returning to fix what had been broken. Negaduck crushed the device out of rage.

“What. Have. You. DONE!” he yelled and pointed at his child. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to lock those losers away in the first place? And you just let them out!”

“She did _what!_” Launchpad exclaimed, dropping Darkwing in shock. The hero fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, but shuffled his way over to his teammates. Launchpad walked over to where Negaduck stood and glared at Gosalyn. “I locked up half of those guys myself! After everything we’ve done for you, you ungrateful brat, you just turned around and _betray_ us like this? You’re too good for this family, is that it?”

“Yes. I _am_ too good for you.”

No one was expecting such a strong statement from such a small girl. Villain and hero alike were taken aback as Gosalyn stared hard at her guardians with courage she had kept tucked away within herself during the months in their care. Darkwing looked between the Four and Tank, but it became apparent no one had any idea what to do other than watch as Gosalyn continued her statement.

“You both claimed to be my guardians but you never took the time to actually try and be my _parent_. Family is more than just who gives you a room and food and toys…a family _loves_ you and protects you and neither of you did that for me!“ She stomped her foot down when Launchpad tried to say something. “Not _once!_”

“Little lady,” Negaduck growled, voice low as he spoke cruelly. “Are you forgetting the itty bitty fact that _I’m_ the one who took you in when no one else would? That _I’ve_ been protecting you from St Canard this entire time? Don’t you _dare_ forget your place, Gos!”

“You haven’t been protecting me at all! You’ve just been locking me away like all the other heroes!” Her fists shook, and tears were forming at the corners of her eyes, but Gosalyn refused to back down. Darkwing hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder, supporting her how he could. She looked up at him and the rest of her friends, and she could feel her burning rage simmer down. “I found my place, without any help from you. And my place is _here_ with Tank and the Four!”

Darkwing coughed.

“And Darkwing Duck for as long as he’s here.” She added with a giggle.

“You’re not a hero, you’re just a spoiled brat!” Launchpad snarled and made his way towards the group, pointing a finger at her. “You’re coming with _me_ and when we get home, you’re going to regret-“

In an instant, Launchpad felt his entire arm be squeezed tight by a vine. Struggling in the hold, he looked up at Bushroot who stared back with an icy look, as if to dare the other try anything. With a grin, Launchpad pulled his arm backwards with a hard tug and sent the mutant duck flying forward, much to his teammates’ shock. Launchpad grabbed Bushroot and pushed his free arm over his throat.

“Reggie!” Quackerjack called out, and tried to run over to his friend, only to be hit on the back of his head by Herb’s fist.

Crashing down, the larger man made an effort to try and kick Quackerjack in revenge, but was quickly frozen in place. Quite literally as Liquidator froze his entire left side. Herb stuttered as the water canine shot forward and pushed the half frozen statue, sending him sliding down the street with a yell.

With the chaos building, Megavolt turned to Darkwing. “We can’t let Gos and Tank get caught in the crossfire! I’ll save Reggie, you get them out of here!”

“I know that!” Darkwing shielded the kids as best he could and guided them towards the bakery’s entrance. He watched as Megavolt ran for Launchpad, leaping up on the taller man and biting at him to let go of his friend. The perseverance was impressive for his small stature, a fact Darkwing could appreciate.

“Keen gear!” Gosalyn piped up, in a tone that made Darkwing suddenly feel very at home. “Are you all going to be alright?”

“Of course we will! Who do you think you’re talking to kid?” He stated proudly. “I gotta help the others; stay here, and I _mean_ it!”

“We promise!” The children said smiling. Giving them a quick thumbs up, Darkwing ran out of the building, cape flying in the air as he went. Gosalyn and Tank looked at each other for a moment, before darting towards the nearest window, eager to see what was happening.

“I would’ve never had imagined being so close to the battles could be so _exhilarating!_” Tank exclaimed. He looked in awe as Quackerjack and Liquidator were making a team effort attempt to keep Binkie and her chain weapons at bay. “Of course…I have no desire to get in the way.”

“No, of course not. Violence is never the answer.” Gosalyn’s eyes shined as she watched Megavolt help up the newly freed Bushroot. The latter didn’t take too kindly to being used as a shield and with a yell summoned forth a rush of trees that came stomping through the streets to try and take out Launchpad. “…although I do like watching the good guys win.”

“I concur.” He laughed before noticing something. Tank paused and did a headcount of the people fighting outside the bakery and came up one short. “Gosalyn, can you see where-?”

“_There_ you dweebs are!”

Tank and Gosalyn gasped as Honker appeared behind them, having easily snuck through the chaos outside without being noticed. He swung around a chain similar to his mother’s, and cornered the two, cackling manically. Tank gulped at the sound, but with shaky arms stood in front of Gosalyn to protect her.

“You don’t have to do this, Honker!” he pleaded. “You don’t have to listen to mother and father, you can choose a path of good!”

“Ugh, you and your stupid goodie good attitude!” Honker rolled his eyes and swung his chain against the wall with a hard smack. “I don’t _care_ about all that stuff! I made my choice!”

“But there’s still a chance to be better! Please, I don’t want to fight my own brother!”

“I told you back at the tower,” Honker whipped his chain forward, narrowly grazing Tank’s cheek. “I’m an only child now!”

“And you’re a child who needs a time out!”

Honker’s chain was caught in someone’s grasp, but before he could turn around to yell at the perpetrator, he felt a rush of electricity come over him. His curse words turned into stutters as the mild electrocution swept over his small body, and Honker quickly collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap. Megavolt let go of the chain and knelt down, picking up Honker sadly before propping him against the wall for now.

“I hate to hurt a kid…but _man._” Megavolt scratched at his cheek, unsure how to feel about the tiny terror before him. He looked over at Tank and rushed over to examine his injury. “Are you alright? Both of you, actually. Gos, you alright-?“

Megavolt was cut off by Tank wrapping himself around his middle in a tight hug. Despite the loud noises outside from the battles, he could still hear the boy repeatedly thanking him. He looked over at Gosalyn with a sigh, and patted Tank’s head in comfort.

The moment was broken however by Darkwing and Negaduck crashing into the bakery in a chaotic clash.

“Golly!” Gosalyn exclaimed, her hands over her mouth in shock as she watched the similar mallards try and punch each other’s lights out. Megavolt quickly guided her and Tank behind the cash register desk to keep them out of the fray and regrouped with the rest of his team who entered.

“The Muddlefoots and Launchpad?” He questioned.

“Herb and Binkie are frozen thanks to Bud,” Quackerjack replied, wincing as Darkwing got socked to the face. “And Launchpad got chased off by a forest. No surprise why.”

“He made me smell his armpit, he deserved nothing less than complete and utter destruction.” Bushroot muttered. “Anyway…should we help Darkwing out?”

“He isn’t looking so good…b-but then again, our powers might just make things complicated?” Liquidator looked at the brawl puzzled. “I think we might want to hold back and protect the kids for now…”

“Good plan. We can split up and try and gather some of those other heroes Gosalyn mentioned. Maybe we can-“

Megavolt was cut off by a scream growing louder as Darkwing was flung directly at the four. The group fell backwards from the impact in a heap, groaning from the pain. Liquidator, having lacked such a problem thanks to having no solid form, shook his head and saw Negaduck running towards the backroom.

“I don’t need the others, I can do this plan myself!” Negaduck muttered to himself and headed towards his goal.

“Where’s he going?” Liquidator questioned, gathering the others’ attentions. Gosalyn and Tank ran out from their hiding spot to help them up quickly.

“That’s where his dimensional doorway is!” Gosalyn exclaimed. She brushed away the dirt on Darkwing’s coat after helping him up. “It looks like a giant cake! You’ve got to go get him!”

“The cake! Of course, that’s how I ended up here in the first place! It’s the portal!” Darkwing darted towards the backroom to give chase, watching as Negaduck jumped into the confection. He slid to a stop as a sudden thought hit him. Darkwing looked over his shoulder to everyone, but in particular Gosalyn. “But…what about _you?_”

Gosalyn gasped a little, surprised that Darkwing was willing to risk so much for her sake. She smiled and shook her head. “Don’t worry about me! I have _four_ Darkwings to take care of me now!”

The Darkwing Four stood behind her, eyes wide at the statement. Each of them looked at one another questioningly, before Megavolt gave them a nod. Reaching forward, each of them ruffled Gosalyn’s head affectionately, Tank coming forward to join in.

“Ha…guess you do.” Darkwing smiled at the sight, his fearful heart at ease. Walking towards them, he gave Gosalyn a tight hug. “You take care of your family, okay?”

“I will. And you’ll take care of your Gosalyn?”

“No question.” Standing up straight, Darkwing adjusted his hat and gave Megavolt a stern look. “I’m leaving you and your team to take care of St Canard…and these kids. I know you’ll do great.”

Megavolt gave him a nod, not an ounce of doubt on his face. “I promise we’ll protect them.”

“As much as I appreciate this heartfelt moment,” Tank spoke up. “Negaduck is getting away! _Hurry!_”

“Right! I’m going! Goodbye everyone!” Darkwing called out as he ran towards the backroom’s entrance, and with a leap, dove into the portal.

The rest of the group followed after, Quackerjack spotting the portal’s control panel and quickly typing away commands to close off the portal from their end, as they’d planned with Darkwing earlier. Negaduck had less chances of victory in his universe were the words Darkwing used to describe the situation. Bushroot, not wanting to take chances after the machine whirled down to a stop, grabbed a large crate and slammed it on top of the cake, blocking off the entrance way.

“And that’s the end of that.” He stated, shaking his vine arms that were getting a bit sore from stretching out so much. Looking around, Bushroot noticed the awkward silence filling the air and gave a sigh. “_Please_ don’t let me be the one to start the cheers of victory.”

Quackerjack snorted a laugh. “Too late. You started it.”

“We did it!” Liquidator dove forward, trapping Quackerjack and Bushroot in a tight hug, the two getting soaked from the contact. “We won! Negaduck’s gone, I can’t believe it!”

“Believe it! We sent that jerk packing!” Quackerjack laughed loudly, even as Bushroot struggled in embarrassment trying to get out of the group hug.

Across the room, Megavolt watched fondly as his team celebrated, but felt he couldn’t join them just yet. There was still a heavy burden that fell on him, and a promise he had to fulfill. He knelt down to Gosalyn and Tank, who were dancing in victory before noticing his presence.

And they talked, gently and caringly, about the adoption agency the children would have to go to now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOORAY! The story has reached its end :D Thank you for sticking with it for so long.
> 
> Next up is a cool down epilogue filled with love, enjoy!


	12. Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four heroes relax and discuss everything that's happened to them, and what's to come.

The remaining hours of the day were far more peaceful than the rest. All of Negaduck’s henchmen were sent to prisons ran by St Canard’s reinstated police force, with the exception of Launchpad and the Muddlefoots who seemed to have gotten away in the chaos. The once imprisoned heroes vanished as quickly as they acted; it was to be expected. They had their freedom again, and most of them were eager to return to their homes and loved ones.

The news about how the Darkwing Four defeated their greatest enemy spread fast through the city. It seemed as though a wave of fans and admirers for the group new and old came out of hiding to celebrate their victory in joyous merriment. News reporters everywhere were desperate to try and find the heroes for more information, but were unable to track them down.

It was a good thing, as the Darkwing Four wanted nothing more than to just _relax_.

The safe house Tank was taken to earlier that same day was a small apartment with a single bedroom to it, nestled in an area of the city that wasn’t overtly overridden with crime. The group returned to it, suddenly overcome with intense fatigue from all the highs and lows of the adventure they’d just been on. Gosalyn and Tank were falling asleep on their feet, and Bushroot carried them the rest of the way, despite their protests that they were fine.

Once inside, he carried them over to the bedroom and placed them gently onto the queen sized bed. Tank attempted to state that they were fine, but his words slurred together. Looking over, he saw Gosalyn immediately cling to a pillow and fall into a quiet sleep, and Tank decided to not fight his exhaustion any longer. He took off his glasses and put them on the nightstand before falling back onto a pillow himself. Bushroot snickered at the childish sight and left the room, closing the door quietly.

“Well, they’re out like a light.” He noted to Liquidator. The water mutant seemed sluggish as he pulled off his mask and cape, placing them off to the side where his hat lay. “You look like you’re ready to join them yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.” Liquidator shook his head, trying to drown out the growing disorientation in his mind. He didn’t sleep, but he definitely knew he needed to just collapse into a puddle for a while. He raised a brow to his friend. “What about you?”

“Honestly, I think I’m going fall into a pile of leaves the minute I sit down.” He joked, disrobing his own costume. A glance over towards the spare mattress in the living room area confirmed his suspicions. “I figure those two have it the hardest.”

Liquidator laughed lightly as he made his way over to the rest of his partners. Quackerjack and Megavolt were only able to change out of their masks before collapsing onto the mattress in a tangled heap. Muttered noises seemed to indicate they were still trying to fight their exhaustion and keep awake despite lacking sleep from the previous night. Megavolt’s eyes opened slowly, and a smile came on his face at the sight of Liquidator.

“Hey…how are you holding up, Buddy?” He spoke quietly, as if saying anything too loudly would take away all his remaining energy. Rolling over, Megavolt turned to face his friend. Quackerjack’s small noise of protest faded as he felt Bushroot’s arms wrap around him, joining the group on the floor.

“Just a few seconds away from being a cup of water. Make sure no one tries to drink me.” He laughed awkwardly, only half joking. “What about you? You seem low on battery.”

“Yeah, I think I used up all my spark…good way to test that though.” Pushing himself forward, Megavolt kissed the water canine quick. Liquidator made a noise of surprise at the action, and Megavolt giggled at the sound. “Yup. I’m good. No short-circuits.”

“Saps.” Bushroot commented, reaching over and ruffling at Megavolt’s hair.

“And that’s coming from a plant duck.” Quackerjack leaned back into his hold, and held onto Bushroot’s arm wrapped around him. “How’d the lot of us manage to survive this long?”

“Teamwork, compassion, a sense of justice-“ Megavolt got cut off from his explanation by a pillow to the face.

“Rhetorical question, Sparky.”

The group laughed as their leader pulled off the pillow with a pout and tossed it back to Quackerjack. Liquidator spotted an empty bucket on the floor nearby and pulled it over to the side of the mattress, splashing his body into it as his own makeshift bed, before reaching out take Megavolt’s hand. He nuzzled against it lovingly.

“I’m just lucky to have you three…” Liquidator muttered, letting his head rest on the crook of his arm. He looked up at his partners fondly.

“Same here,” Bushroot agreed, using his outstretched arm to pat Liquidator’s head. “I honestly don’t know how you all put up with me, but I’m glad you do.”

“Remind me when my head isn’t full of static to remind _you_ what an amazing and incredible person you are, Reggie.” Turning to his other side again, Megavolt smiled at Quackerjack and Bushroot, leaning forward slightly to give them light pecks on their beaks. “I love you guys.”

“And we love you, if that wasn’t stupidly obvious by now.” Quackerjack nuzzled his head into his pillow with a content sigh. “Today was just…unreal. I can hardly believe half the stuff that happened.”

“Darkwing Duck showed up, St Canard is safe again, Negaduck is gone, hopefully for good…” Liquidator listed off the events of the day, and a sad look came upon his face. “Gosalyn and Tank are…without families now…”

“They have us.” Megavolt firmly noted. “We’re not leaving them alone.”

“No, but we _are_ taking them to the orphanage tomorrow.” Bushroot sighed, feeling Quackerjack’s grip on him tighten a bit. “Sorry. But it’s not like we can raise them right now. And I know how much you want to.”

“We could manage…we’ve practically been raising them anyway…” The mallard felt Megavolt’s hand caress his cheek and leaned into the touch. Quackerjack knew the fact of the matter as much as his partners did. “Someday. When we aren’t living in warehouses-”

“And have actual sources of income-“

“And maybe even, I don’t know, get new civilian identities?” Bushroot gave a shrug. “We kind of call each other by name all the time. And I don’t think adoption agencies would be thrilled about superheroes adopting kids. Not with all the high stakes and danger involved with it.”

“We can dream.” Liquidator flicked a bit of water at Bushroot, who made a face about it. The water mutant slunk back a bit more into his bucket, a content daydream coming over him. “The four of us living together, raising Gos and Tank…we’d be a family. We could use my old house or…”

“Wait.” Bushroot and Quackerjack snapped awake at the comment and shot up from their spot to stare at Liquidator. “Wait, wait, did you just say you have a _house?_”

“Um…” Liquidator blinked at the pair, and slunk back into the bucket more. “D-did I never bring it up? I had to leave it when I mutated, b-but I do have a house purchased over on the west side of town.”

“_Purchased!_” Quackerjack gawked. “And you still have the rights? It’s still technically yours?”

“Legally, it should be.” He paused in thought. “Actually, since the town got cleared out now, there shouldn’t be any invaders and crooks. Not sure how much of it is still _there_ though, it’s been a while…”

“We could’ve been living in a house this whole time!” Bushroot was smacked lightly by Quackerjack for his volume. With a grumble he lowered his volume. “How could you not bring it up until now? I know _we_ don’t sleep, but these two have been sleeping on cold damp floors all this time!”

“Well…to be fair that hasn’t bothered us so much. Still doesn’t, clearly.”

Before the others could ask for clarification, Quackerjack pointed down with a giggle at their leader. Megavolt had fallen asleep despite the squabble, his breathing light and his hand still resting on top of Quackerjack’s. The three smiled, hearts relaxing at the sight.

“We can discuss this in the morning I suppose.” Bushroot decided, watching Quackerjack lie down again. “But don’t think we’re through with this talk, Bud.”

“Understandable.” Liquidator leaned back and retreated his form into the bucket completely. “Good night, my loves.”

“Night.” The plant mutant whispered, seeing that Quackerjack had succumbed to sleep himself. “Night you guys.”

Sitting on the mattress, Bushroot glanced out at the window, seeing the moon and stars shine brighter in the sky than they had been for a very long time. He knew things had changed, and while most of them were for the best, there was still a lot more hardships to come for their team. Holding onto himself for a moment as a rush of fear and worry swept over him, Bushroot bit at his lip and decided to fight against the negative thoughts in his mind.

Leaning back on the makeshift bed, he quietly stretched his arms around his partners and the bucket Liquidator rested in, holding them. The rest of the world could wait. For now, they could rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the Negaverse fic is complete! Thank you so much for reading this story, it was a joy to complete :D I hope my interpretations of the Negaverse and its occupants was fun for you as much as it is for me! Fans of my Duckverse blog will be happy to hear more DWD fics will come in the future, but for now we close the book on this one.
> 
> Please be sure to let me know your favorite bits of the story! Thank you again, and see you next time :D

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to know more about my Friendly Four interpretations, or would like to see their designs, feel free to check out my sideblog!  
https://thefriendlyfour.tumblr.com/


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